James McDaid
Question:6 Dr. McDaid asked the Minister for the Marine if he will grant approval for a harbour authority for Lough Swilly and the lease of foreshore in Buncrana, County Donegal. [5108/97]
Other Questions. - Lough Swilly (Donegal) Harbour Authority.
Much concern has been expressed recently by a number of public bodies and individuals in County Donegal about pollution risks in Lough Swilly waters, particularly from foreign fish processing ships, because outside the Buncrana harbour jurisdiction there is no harbour authority in control of these waters. I share this general concern but as well as securing stricter marine environment protection in the lough I can also see many other benefits, particularly in the area of tourism, which should follow from the establishment of a harbour authority for the whole of Lough Swilly.
With this in mind, my Department and officials of Donegal County Council have recently been exploring the possibility of that council assuming statutory responsibility for Lough Swilly as a whole. Donegal County Council has indicated that it agrees in principle with this proposal subject to a mutually satisfactory arrangement, which is currently under discussion, being put in place. I expect that the outcome of those discussions and the recommendations of the Department thereon will be submitted to me in the near future for my approval.
Regarding the lease of foreshore at Buncrana, I approved this lease last July and a draft lease was offered to Donegal County Council on 15 July last. I understand that the county council is disputing the rent and that the Valuation Office, which fixed the original rent, is arranging a review of this and discussions with the council with a view to securing its agreement.
I thank the Minister for his reply. He said the price of the lease was being reviewed. If the lease fixed for Rathmullan is £150 per year and the cost of buying out the lease has been quoted at £4,000, why was the lease for Buncrana set at £1,200 and the cost of the freehold at £15,000? That is a big difference between two sites across the water from each other. Could the Minister use his good offices to reduce the price of the Buncrana lease to the same as the Rathmullan lease? As he said, the council wants to develop the facilities and I am angry about the lack of progress made on many piers along the Donegal coast. The council wants to provide ferries, boating, sea angling, shellfishing and other services but it is not receiving suitable help from the Department. I hope the evaluation will take into account that the pier requires substantial repair, the on-shore facilities and access are poor, the harbour is silted up and only available at certain tides, which restricts sea access, and when the slipway is developed dredging will be required on a regular basis. This should be compared with the cheaper rent charged at Rathmullen which has excellent deep water facilities. There is goodwill in the council towards the development of this pier and I ask the Minister to ensure this work is undertaken.
The Department is obliged to ask the Valuation Office, which is the expert in this area, what fee should be charged for a freehold lease. People often compare fees with those charged four or five years ago. If one was to compare fees one could call for a review of the fees set four or five years ago. For this reason, we should not concentrate on this issue. My Department is obliged to accept the figure given by the Valuation Office and to seek the approval of the Department of Finance. Because Donegal County Council has sought a review in this case I am arranging for the Valuation Office to have another look at the matter. The council will be able to make its case in that context.
On the question of piers generally, when I took up office I visited all coastal counties. Many small harbours and piers are neglected by local authorities.
They have no money.
One will not get money if one does not seek it. It is a question of priorities. It is a shame that these small harbours and piers have not been maintained. My Department gives advice to local authorities on engineering matters, etc. The ideal way to manage small harbours and piers is through the local government system. Deputies refer constantly to the need to devolve powers to local authorities and this is one area with which it could properly deal. It is not good enough for local authorities to say they do not have adequate finance for this work and to let these harbours and piers fall into the sea. This work should be a priority and I ask the Deputy to ensure that Donegal County Council gives the same priority to this work as it does to other matters for which it is responsible. If these harbours and piers are not repaired it will cost millions of pounds to replace them in future.
Because Donegal has a poor road infrastructure, no train service and a limited airport service the public has to depend on the sea for access. There is much potential for the further development of port facilities in the county. Donegal County Council has carried out a survey of piers and drawn up a list of priority work.
I am anxious to facilitate the Deputy but she must proceed by way of questions.
However, it still needs money to carry out this work. I ask the Minister to ensure funding is allocated for this work. The will exists to develop this resource. I accept that the Department must be guided by the Valuation Office but there is a substantial difference of opinion on the method used to determine the fee. I ask the Minister to ensure the fees are reduced and brought into line with those charged in Rathmullan.
I will keep a close eye on the matter.