Eamon Gilmore
Question:79 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources the progress made regarding the planned provision of a necklace of marinas around the coast; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9898/02]
Written Answers. - Harbours and Piers.
The Deputy will no doubt be aware that I recently launched the marine tourism submeasure which will be implemented by my Department as part of the two regional operational programmes of the National Development Plan 2000-2006. Under this grant scheme, €25.4 million has been allocated to marine tourism and targeted particularly at improving marine access infrastructure such as marinas, berths and slipways.
In developing its priorities for the national development plan my Department, in consultation with the Marine Institute, has identified the lack of an adequate coastal infrastructure provision as a key development constraint to water based tourism and leisure and the most serious obstacle to development as being the lack of service infrastructure in coastal regions in terms of serviceable harbours, piers, slipways and moorings. As a result, the improvement of access infrastructure in coastal and estuarine areas has been targeted by my Department as the primary focus for development under the scheme. In pursuing this policy, it is intended that investment in infrastructure will concentrate on providing facilities in coastal areas which have suffered from under-investment in the past and have the potential to provide either new or enhanced recreational infrastructure to facilitate activities such as general boating, angling and water sports.
Prior to the introduction of this grant scheme, my Department provided funding of €5.71 million for four flagship marina projects at Caherciveen, Kenmare, Roundstone and Rosses Point. I understand that the Caherciveen and Kenmare facilities will soon be completed while work on the other two projects should commence shortly. Following on from the development of these new facilities, the investment programme which I have now introduced under the national development plan has the potential to realise the Government's vision of a necklace of high quality marinas around the coast and, in doing so, provide a comprehensive network of top class facilities, create hundreds of jobs and deliver economic benefits to virtually every coastal county in Ireland.