Ned O'Keeffe
Question:124 Mr. N. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources the position regarding the development of a pier (details supplied) in County Cork. [25582/01]
Written Answers. - Harbours and Piers.
The harbour in question is owned by Cork County Council and responsibility for its maintenance and development rests with the local authority in the first instance. In 1999 comprehensive development proposals were put to my Department by a local development association.
Officials in my Department wrote to Cork County Council in July 2001 requesting costed proposals for the first phase of the development. Such proposals are a prerequisite to determining funding requirements. The matter will be considered further when this information is to hand.
Ned O'Keeffe
Question:125 Mr. N. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources the position regarding the development of a marina (details supplied) in County Cork. [25583/01]
Under the National Development Plan 2000-2006, £20 million has been allocated to marine tourism and targeted particularly at improving marine access infrastructure such as marinas, berths and slipways. The scheme will be part of the two regional operational programmes and funding of £6 million has been allocated to the south and east region and £14 million to the BMW region.
The marine tourism grant scheme is one of five sub-measures of the overall tourism measure of the national development plan and is currently being prepared by my Department in consultation with the Department of Tourism, Sport and Recreation which has responsibility for the implementation of the overall measure. I understand that the Department of Tourism, Sport and Recreation is working with the EU Commission in Brussels to finalise EU approval for certain aspects of the overall NDP tourism measure.
It is my intention that the marine tourism grant scheme will be launched by my Department as soon as this approval has been received. Until the scheme is launched and formal application forms and guidelines are available applications cannot be accepted. However, all parties who have expressed an interest in the scheme, including those in Youghal, will be sent details and an application form as soon as they are available. Once the grant scheme is in place and a formal application received from the promoters of these projects, they will be assessed in accordance with the procedures laid down under the scheme.