Vol. 470 No. 7
20 Mr. Gallagher (Donegal South-West) asked the Minister for the Marine whether his Department is preparing engineer's reports and estimated costs for harbour improvement works in County Donegal; if he will give details of the reports, if any, prepared since January 1995; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17440/96]
25 Miss Coughlan asked the Minister for the Marine the progress, if any, which has been made in securing funds to provide a new pier at Killybegs, County Donegal. [17350/96]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 20 and 25 together.
The following engineering reports on harbours in Donegal have been prepared by the Department since January 1995:
|
Location |
Subject |
|
Magheraroarty |
Improvement of the pier. |
|
Lugnadrum, Glencolmcille |
Improvement of the slipway and winch. |
|
Malinbeg |
Repairs to pier and slipway and replacement of the winch. |
|
Carrickboyle |
Repair of the pier. |
|
Curransport |
Extension of the slipway. |
|
Arranmore Island |
Improvement of ferry landing facilities at Leabgarrow. |
|
Raising of pier deck level and repairs at Rannach Pier. |
|
|
Repairs to pier at Poolawaddy. |
|
|
Burtonport |
Reports in relation to the now completed drilling, blasting and dredging contract. |
|
Improvement of fendering and ladders. |
|
|
Tory Island |
Reports on the inception and planning of the current dredging and pier extension project. |
|
Reports on dredging works undertaken and completed in 1996. |
|
|
Killybegs FHC |
Reports covering annual maintenance works programmes and appraisal of existing and future infrastructure needs. |
The Department's engineering division is not currently undertaking any specific reports into harbour infrastructure in County Donegal. However, I have recently commissioned a separate consultants' report on Killybegs Fishery Harbour Centre to assess the capability, and medium to long-term infrastructural requirements, of the port in terms of meeting the needs of the fishing industry in the region.
A three year fishery harbour capital development programme, 1997-99 is being prepared and requirements in County Donegal are being considered in the context of the programme. The funding currently available over the lifetime of the fisheries operational programme for harbour works is very limited. Only projects which demonstrate a significant potential return from a fisheries perspective can be contemplated for aid under the programme. In that regard the available technical and other reports together with submissions made by Donegal County Council and local interest groups will inform decisions in due course.
I have commissioned an independent analysis of the requirements at the port of Killybegs. This study will be completed shortly and will inform future funding decisions. I am satisfied that significant infrastructural investment is needed at Killybegs Fishery Harbour Centre to ensure the necessary capability to service the present and future needs of the fishing industry in the north west region. I will pursue the case for additional funding for the development of fishery harbour infrastructure generally, and Killybegs in particular, in the context of the mid-term review of EU Structural Funds and elsewhere as necessary.
Under Standing Order 37 (iii) I must proceed to take questions addressed to the Minister in his capacity as Minister for Defence at 4.07 p.m. To accommodate both Deputies who are offering, they can put their questions and the Minister can answer them together.
The fishing industry around Donegal's vast coastline has major economic benefits for the area in terms of jobs and so on. It is not good enough to say resources are limited and that consideration will be given to one pier. Killybegs needs to be upgraded and Greencastle suffers from massive congestion. I want the Minister to give a commitment to seek resources for not only big piers, but for small ones such as Carrickarory which has deteriorated so much since his visit there that he would not recognise it. Will the Departments of Transport, Energy and Communications, Enterprise and Employment and the Marine work together to get money to repair this pier which is falling into the sea? The pier at Moville has already fallen into the sea.
The Minister mentioned nine piers in his reply, most of which require minor repair works. The two main piers, Killybegs and Burtonport which he visited, are both urgent cases. I would be grateful if he would prioritise repair works for those piers, particularly Burtonport that serves the fishing fleet and the Aranmore lifeboat service.
It will be done before the election.
Will the Minister state the amount of EU resources negotiated for such works? I accept he was not involved in the negotiation, but how much is available?
The Deputy should not forget Donegal North East.
In the mid-term review of the EU Structural Funds I will seek additional funds for fishery harbours and the fisheries operational programme in general. The amount of resources negotiated under the EU Structural Funds was very low. Funding under the operational programme will be in the region of £1.5 million for each year from 1997 to 1999. That would not be sufficient to do a great deal of work at Killybegs. That is why I need a mid-term review to try to get funds from some other programme. A number of harbours and ports have been neglected for years. Vital infrastructure in the fishing, marine, leisure and tourism industries could be used to generate vast sums of money. There is also a difficulty about who is responsible for those areas. Local authorities have some responsibility in this area.
From where will they get the money?
Donegal County Council is responsible for some piers and small harbours. Until that is changed, it should seek funds from the Department of the Environment to carry out repair works.
It will pass the questions to the Minister.
The Department of the Marine's priority in this area relates to major fishery centres. That is why I mentioned Killybegs. Greencastle and Burtonport also need care and attention, but the Deputies are aware of the costs involved. We are not talking about a small amount of money. I am awaiting the recommendations of the consultants' report on Killybegs which, because of the developments taking place there, the size of the vessels using the port and its infrastructure, must be examined in a three or four year programme. We need to get investment into the area to ensure the continued operational capacity of Killybegs, Greencastle and Burtonport. In the meantime, the Department of the Marine continues to give a service to local authorities who have requested inspections to be carried out. For that reason, people may have got the impression that the Department of the Marine is responsible for these matters, whereas it acted only on an agency basis for the local authority because it had the necessary engineering skills.
