The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine owns, operates and maintains six designated State-owned Fishery Harbour Centres, located at Castletownbere, Dingle, Dunmore East, Howth, Killybegs and Ros An Mhíl under statute. In addition, the Department also has responsibility for the upkeep and maintenance of North Harbour at Cape Clear, as well as the maintenance of a small number of specific piers, lights and beacons throughout Ireland, in accordance with the Marine Works (Ireland) Act 1902, and piers, lights and beacons constructed under the auspices of the Congested Districts Board.
The responsibility for the development, and maintenance of Local Authority owned piers, harbours and slipways rests with each Local Authority in the first instance, and their parent Department, the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, thereafter. The relevant local authority in the case of Helvick Harbour is Waterford County Council.
However, as part of its annual Fishery Harbour and Coastal Infrastructure Development Programme, the Department has, in previous years, provided funding to assist coastal Local Authorities in carrying out small scale projects for the development and repair of piers, harbours and slipways in their ownership.
Between the years 2010 to 2020, over €3.1 million in funding has been granted under this programme to Waterford County Council, with €530k of this allocated to capital works at Helvick Harbour.
Under this year’s programme, funding of €4.2m has been approved to assist coastal Local Authorities undertake and complete 79 development and repair projects on harbours and slipways owned by them. The package provides funding for maintenance and repair works in addition to supporting the ongoing development and enhancement of harbour facilities, including some marine leisure developments.
Waterford County Council has secured funding of €510k under this year’s programme, to undertake five Harbour Development projects. I am pleased to inform the Deputy that a project to undertake upgrades to the pier in Helvick Harbour has been approved for the maximum available funding for an individual project under the programme, this being €150,000.
An application was received under last year’s programme for additional works at Helvick Harbour, including identifying and assessing disposal sites and examining the tasks necessary to obtain a disposal at sea permit and foreshore licence in order to facilitate dredging works. As the terms and conditions of the scheme specify that funding is for capital works only and not for the purpose of studies, surveys, planning and permit processes, consultants and/or design fees, etc., this application was ineligible for funding under the programme.
The focus of my Departments scheme remains focused on supporting actual capital works, it is a matter for Waterford County Council to progress any preparatory studies, permitting and design works.
Should any application be made for funding by Waterford County Council under any future programme in relation to actual dredging works at Helvick Harbour, it will be given due consideration, taking into account the terms and conditions of the scheme, the priority attached to the project by the Council, available Exchequer funding and overall national priorities.
