Vol. 474 No. 6
50 Mr. Browne (Wexford) asked the Minister for the Marine the reason dredging operations at Kilmore Quay, County Wexford have ceased; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the fishermen are very annoyed with the quality of work carried out to date under his Department's control; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3658/97]
The dredging contractor has finalised operations at Kilmore Quay, which completes this major capital project, involving an investment of £3.25 million in the fishing harbour. The completed harbour development will underpin the future of the fishing and marine tourism industries at Kilmore Quay.
In addition to the original programme of dredging works the Department negotiated an additional agreement with the contractor at the end of last year to provide a 40 metre wide approach channel dredged to 4.5 metres on the entire approach.
In relation to criticism of the dredging operation, it is acknowledged that the contractor was delayed in coming on site and it is also the case that difficulties were experienced with plant breakdown due to the heavy toll on equipment caused by the solid bedrock composition of the seabed at Kilmore. Problems early on in relation to the disposal of dredge spoil were resolved.
Overall however the harbour reconstruction project has been acknowledged as a professional job to the highest engineering standards by the Department and will, I believe, be generally welcomed as such by local interests. In that context I should say that recent requests for a major additional dredging programme at the harbour approaches, which was not part of the present project, would have to be fully assessed and costed in the first instance.
