asked the Minister for Transport and Power if the facilities at Rosslare Harbour are to be expanded and improved; and, if so, when.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Facilities at Rosslare Harbour.
11.
I would refer the Deputy to the reply given to a previous similar question on 18th February, 1964. The matter is still under examination by the Fishguard and Rosslare Railways and Harbours Company who have engaged the services of a consulting engineer to advise them.
I take it the Minister has received an improvement scheme in relation to this harbour?
A number of associations have made representations about this. I did receive a scheme from an engineer appointed by a local organisation as an example of what could be done to improve the harbour.
Is the Minister prepared to accept that scheme or consider it?
The scheme is being made known to the Fishguard and Rosslare Harbour Shipping Company. However, a scheme for the improvement of Rosslare has to be worked out in conjunction with any improvement in the servicing of the vessels, the character of the vessels, the number of cars they are likely to take, the method of providing drive-on and drive-off facilities. It has to be tailored to what the company propose to do in the way of improvement of the service. Therefore, a particular plan made by an engineer might not conform with those conceptions.
The Minister will agree that the use of the car-ferry service between Rosslare and Fishguard is increasing? In the light of that fact, could he indicate if there is any chance of the scheme being undertaken before the present tourist season?
There is no possibility of that. For example, one of the proposals is to have a road out to the vessels. That is a big undertaking, because it involves the question of tidal flow and the fact that the water would be no longer able to circulate under the viaduct.
If you do not start soon, we will never have it.