I thank you, Sir, for giving me the opportunity to raise this most urgent and important matter.
There must be no further delay in getting the work underway for the improvement and extension of Keelbeg Pier at Union Hall, County Cork. There has been no shortage of announcements that this work will proceed. We had an announcement in 1991 from the then Tánaiste and Minister for the Marine, Mr. John Wilson, and then we had a subsequent announcement from the next Minister for the Marine, Deputy Michael Woods. However, the work never properly got underway.
It has been brought to my attention in Union Hall that work did get under way but it was described to me as a piece of political chicanery which occurred in the week prior to the general election last November. For that week there was great activity at the pier. Lorries were there drawing stones and tipping them in around the pier. The people of the village and the area not unnaturally felt that their dreams were being realised and that the work was at long last underway. Deputies can imagine how their hopes were dashed on finding that the lorries and workmen had disappeared like the mist on a summer morning, the week after the election. We can further imagine the cyncial comments that were made about the political process arising from this exercise.
The total cost of the pier and approach roads is about £3 million. The work at the pier itself will cost £2 million which will be at least 50 per cent funded by the EC. The approach roads including the road across the new causeway will cost at least £1 million. In case there is any question of finding justification for the expenditure of such substantial sums in Union Hall, it is as well that the background should be fully known.
The Union Hall area has a tradition of fishing extending over many years. As was common with many small Irish fishing ports, the industry in this area was for a number of years badly organised and its full potential had not been developed.
In 1986 a number of local fishermen joined together and formed the Union Hall Fishermans' Co-operative Society Limited. The work of this co-op was so successful that it purchased the vacant industrial estate at Marsh Road, Skibbereen, where its auctions are now held and it is responsible for many jobs in the area, directly and indirectly.
The number of boats using the pier is about 60 trawlers, 20 of these are locally based and the others come from Kinsale to Dingle. The employment content directly on these boats is about 250. In addition, there are 20 staff employed by the co-op in Skibbereen and a further 20 part-time staff. The co-op now has a turnover of £6 million per annum.
A portion of the industrial estate has been rented out for related activities and at the moment there are four fish packers, a ship's chandlery, a repair section and a business dealing with marine electronics which between them are giving employment full-time to upwards of 100 people and many more on a part-time basis.
We are therefore talking about the provision of an essential facility for the maintenance and development of all these jobs. It is very clear that a pier is as important to a fishing-based enterprise as a hospital is to a surgeon. The present pier is not alone inadequate but dangerous for the huge number of boats which are using it. There is, therefore, an unanswerable case to get the pier works underway. I understand there is some element of debate between the Department of the Marine and the county council in relation to who should pay for what. It is time that any such dispute ended. Jobs are at stake here and must not be put in further jeopardy. In relation to the £3 million project, the county council has already spent £500,000 on the approach road over the causeway and is willing to spend at least a further £500,000 on the other approach road. In addition, it has made an offer of a further £250,000 towards the actual cost of the pier, half payable now and the other £125,000 on 1 January next. The Minister will also be drawing from the EC for at least 50 per cent of the cost of the project.
In this situation it is not acceptable for the Minister to attempt to off load responsibility. Very clear and positive commitments have been made in the past by previous Ministers. The case is proved from the point of view of user and employment. I want immediate action and if that involves the Minister going to see the county council and ironing out any remaining issues it must be done this month. I want to see the work underway on the pier on 1 May next. I am demanding immediate action and I am not prepared to take no for an answer.
