Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 29 June 2004
49 Mr. J. O’Keeffe asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the planned new harbour development in Baltimore Harbour, County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19301/04]
View answerOfficials from my Department and the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government are considering the modalities for the transfer of Baltimore Harbour and certain other harbours operating under the Harbours Act 1946 to local authority ownership. I expect this work will take a number of months to come to fruition since it involves, inter alia, the undertaking of an audit of the assets and liabilities of the harbours to be transferred. As part of that audit process, plans for the further development of the harbours and the funding of such development will be taken into account. In the meantime, engineers from my Department are visiting the regional harbours, including Baltimore Harbour, to identify works which might be undertaken to protect the public and the fabric of the harbours with the limited resources available to my Department in 2004.
