As the Deputy will be aware, responsibility for the development of piers on Inis Meáin and Inis Oírr rests with Galway County Council. Officials from my Department meet regularly with members of Galway County Council to monitor progress of the development of the piers.
So far in 2023, a total of 14 meetings have been held, typically every fortnight with minutes kept of each meeting.
Substantial progress has been made in the development of these projects recently.
The first phase of tenders for Inis Oírr pier have now been received and are currently being evaluated by Galway County Council. Upon completion of this process, the qualified tenderers will proceed to the next phase of the tender process in the coming weeks.
Regarding Inis Meáin, it is my understanding that officials from Galway County Council are preparing the necessary documents to appoint consultants to assist in preparing a Preliminary Business Case which will look at options for providing safe harbour facilities on Inis Meáin. The draft documents were discussed at a meeting between my Department and the County Council last week.
Regarding the dates of those meetings this year, two were held in January on the 10th and 24th. February saw one meeting take place on the 21st, while March had two on the 7th and 21st.
In April, meetings took place on the 4th and 18th, while May saw one meeting on the 16th. Owing to the launch of Our Living Islands in June, one meeting was held on the 27th of June, while July had meetings on the 11th and the 25th. One meeting took place in August on the 15th and two in September on the 5th and the 19th.
The next meeting of this steering committee is scheduled for the 3rd of October.
