I propose to take Questions Nos. 381 and 382 together.
My Department 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. From 2020 to 2023 €110.7 million was invested in capital infrastructure projects at these facilities. Each year the allocation of funding is made in line with the needs of each harbour and having regard to existing contractual commitments, emerging needs and available resources.
In any particular year, the Department can be managing 50-60 different projects across the Fishery Harbour Centres and Coastal Infrastructure Development Programme. Projects where there are existing multi-annual contractual commitments are carefully monitored in progress and delivery as these can impact on capacity to spend in other areas. This means that from time to time the Department has to re-prioritise projects to match available resources and this has been the case with regard to the projects referred to by the Deputy. During 2023 expenditure on a number of existing contractual commitments, including the Smooth Point project at Killybegs and the Deep Water Quay project at Ros an Mhíl, was ahead of profile with a consequential impact on delivery on some other projects.
With regard to the projects themselves, project development continued through the work of the Department's Marine Engineering Division. The Department is also currently revisiting a report from a consulting engineering firm with regard to value-for-money future development options for Dunmore East. In this context the Department considered it prudent to pause on further development on the West Wharf at this time.
