Vol. 542 No. 1
23 Mr. Rabbitte asked the Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources if his attention has been drawn to concerns expressed that dumping of dredged spoil in Galway Bay may impact on the marine environment and the livelihoods of traditional fishermen; the terms of the licence covering the dumping; the steps that are in place to ensure that it does not cause damage; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23319/01]
I am aware of the concerns raised in connection with the dumping-at-sea permit issued to Galway Harbour Company for the disposal of 63,800 tonnes of dredge spoil at sea from necessary maintenance dredging of the harbour. I can assure the Deputy that these concerns were fully addressed prior to the issue of the permit when the results of necessary studies arranged by the harbour company were available, namely, studies of the dispersal characteristics of the dump site and the impact of the dumping upon the marine benthos, sediment analysis of areas to be dredged and an archaeological assessment of the dump site.
A copy of the permit is in the Oireachtas Library. In addition to standard conditions, special conditions were added to the permit in order to further minimise the impact of the dumping operation. The harbour company was not allowed to dredge material from the starboard side of the commercial dock area of the harbour, as the material was considered unsuitable for marine disposal. The harbour company was also required to follow a particular sequence of dredging and dumping of material from different locations in the harbour and approach channel. At the request of Dúchas an archaeologist was contracted to monitor the operation. The dredging and dumping operation was digitally recorded using differential GPS and a computer to ensure compliance with the conditions of the permit, and engineers from my Department visited the dredging and dumping operation on several occasions.
The harbour company has agreed to carry out tests to investigate the impact of the dumping operation upon the dumpsite and the surrounding areas. It has also agreed to finance a three year study by a graduate student at NUI Galway into the impact of the dumping operation upon the surrounding vicinity.
