Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 5 February 2013
709. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will ensure 300 pier jobs at Howth Harbour County Dublin are not put in jeopardy by introducing a pay for parking plan. [5375/13]
View answer711. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will defer his Department's introduction of paid parking for Howth Harbour, County Dublin, until a proper analysis has been done on the amount of revenue that will be generated in comparison with the jobs that may be lost; his views on the fact that one in three local authorities lose money on paid parking; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5401/13]
View answer712. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department has fully consulted with Fingal County Council regarding a proposal to introduce paid parking at Howth, County Dublin, as motorists will seek to park outside the harbour; if planning permission is needed for the change of use of the harbour and the introduction of parking meters and other infrastructure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5402/13]
View answer726. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide details of the consultations that have taken place in the past year between his Department, Fingal County Council and business owners in Howth regarding proposals to introduce pay parking in Howth Harbour; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5512/13]
View answer729. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the current level of paid parking charges re SI 214/2012; if any determination has been made on the level of charges that he is reported to be proposing at each of the six national fishery harbours; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5529/13]
View answer732. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the current position regarding pay parking at each of the six national fishery harbours; the consultations he has held with stakeholders regarding introducing such charges; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5532/13]
View answer733. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason he has refused to hold any public consultation with local community, business and marine leisure leaders on his proposal to introduce pay parking charges in Howth harbour, County Dublin; if he will urgently meet a delegation of the above stakeholders on the matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5533/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 709, 711, 712, 726, 729, 732 and 733 together.
The introduction of pay parking at Howth Fishery Harbour Centre is currently under consideration. The Rates and Charges Order of 2012 is the legal instrument that provides for parking charges in the Fishery Harbour Centres, and that order provides for maximum charges. The specific elements of any possible scheme that might be introduced are currently being worked on and I will be deciding in due course on the matter, including the detail of how any scheme would apply, and the amount of charges for parking.
In order to improve traffic management, enabling works and upgrading works to the car parks within the Fishery Harbour, including lining of parking spaces, have been taking place over a number of months.
Howth Fishery Harbour Centre is first and foremost a working fishery harbour. It has a number of business customers, including business tenants, vessel owners and crew, etc and, full access is required for commercial traffic servicing the fishing side and the various ancillary enterprises, with appropriate parking arrangements. It is acknowledged that there are, and have always been, a wide range of recreational users of Howth Fishery Harbour Centre also, including the yacht club, walkers, sightseers and other social users. A significant number of parking spaces in Howth Fishery Harbour are currently being taken up by commuters using the DART service during the working week.
Traffic and parking management within the Fishery Harbour Centre itself has been an issue for some time, particularly in the light of concerns raised about safety and emergency access by the Coastguard, the Lifeboat service, and an Garda Síochána. The introduction of pay parking is one (and only one) of a number of measures being introduced to address those concerns.
The introduction of parking charges at Howth Fishery Harbour Centre was originally examined in great detail in 2007 in the context of a proposed Howth Traffic and Parking Management Plan, in conjunction with Fingal County Council. There was widespread public consultation at that time but that project did not subsequently proceed. The outcomes of that public consultation as well as more recent correspondence from a wide range of harbour users, contact between my officials and harbour business tenants and general concerns about the possible effect that the introduction of pay parking might have will be taken into account in arriving at a final pay parking scheme at Howth Fishery Harbour Centre.
Fishery Harbour Centres are financed from the Fishery Harbour Centres Fund. All income generated in the Fishery Harbours is lodged to this ring-fenced Fund, and it is the only funding available for the operation and management of the Fishery Harbours, of which Howth is one of 6 in the State.
Any additional revenue that is generated from pay parking at Howth Fishery Harbour Centre will be re-invested in facilities and enhancements that would not otherwise have been possible given the current financial constraints. This will, if anything, help to attract inward investments into the Fishery Harbour Centres, and ultimately provide more employment opportunities, not less.
Fingal Council has also been consulted about the current plans and in relation to issues of traffic management at both formal and informal meetings with my officials over the past year.
There are approx 500 parking spaces in the Fishery Harbour Centre at present. These spaces, although only recently lined and marked, have been in place for a considerable number of years and so it is not considered that a formal planning application should be required. However, in November 2012, my Department wrote to Fingal Council in order to establish whether or not planning permission is required for the installation of pay and display machines, and a reply is awaited.
I can assure the deputies that the new parking arrangements will be designed as far as possible to be fair to all users, while ensuring that everyone pays their fair share of the cost of upkeep of the facility.
Pay parking was introduced into the Fishery Harbour Centre in Ros an Mhíl in June 2012, pay parking has been in operation at Dingle since before it was designated as a Fishery Harbour Centre in 2007 and there are currently no plans to introduce pay parking at the other fishery Harbour Centres (Castletownbere, Killybegs, and Dunmore East).
