Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 24 November 2015
207. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine why a roundabout is being installed in Howth Fishery Harbour Centre (details supplied) in County Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41320/15]
View answerHowth Fishery Harbour Centre is one of the six designated Fishery Harbour Centres, which are owned, managed and maintained by my Department under statute to provide for the needs of fishermen and the fishing industry generally. However, all the Centres have unique features which facilitate a broad range of other diverse activities which are important from both an economic and social perspective. Howth Fishery Harbour Centre is no exception to this diversity, while first and foremost a working fishery harbour, my Department is conscious that it is also a very important tourist destination in addition to being a major venue for leisure activities with a wide range of recreational users of the harbour, including the yacht club, sport fishermen, walkers, tourists and other social users. These activities generate large volumes of vehicular traffic to the harbour.
Traffic Management is one of the areas where my Department has made investments to improve the safety of those visiting the harbour. Under my Departments 2015 Fishery Harbour and Coastal Infrastructure Development programme I have allocated €115,000 in two tranches for these purposes, €75,000 in March and a further €40,000 in July. Areas attracting these funds include bollards, kerbing, footpath realignment and road lining. These monies augment funds allocated in previous years for the ongoing safety improvements at the harbour.
In matters concerning traffic management and road safety, my Department works closely with Fingal County Council and an Garda Síochána. In view of the high level of harbour traffic in Howth Fishery Harbour Centre and of health and safety concerns, a firm of consulting engineers examined the overall traffic management which considered traffic calming and pedestrian movements. The consultants conducted a Road Safety Audit and amongst the recommendations was a roundabout at the West Pier car park exit which is currently an unregulated junction.
A planning application to introduce traffic management measures, including the roundabout at the West Pier car park exit, was submitted to Fingal County Council. On the 23 September last my Department received a Notification of Decision to Grant Permission for a new roundabout and associated work at the West Pier car park exit.
The decision to grant was appealed to An Bord Pleanála on 21 October and the Department must now await the outcome of this process before proceeding any further.
