asked the Minister for Finance the progress that has been made on the improvement of Sladanavoohogue Pier, Fanad, County Donegal to date; and if he will state (a) the amount of money spent (b) the amount yet available and (c) the cost of bringing a dragline to the site.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Piers and Slipways. County Donegal Pier and Crane.
15.
Mr. Kenny
The work, for which a grant of £36,000 was made available, has been in progress since November, 1974. Good progress has been made on the pier and £17,000 has been spent. However, the local users have asked for modifications and these proposals have been transmitted for consideration to Roinn na Gaeltachta who are sponsoring the scheme. The cost of transporting the dragline was £1,300.
Would the Parliamentary Secretary ask for some investigation into the exorbitantly high cost of bringing this dragline to the site for the relatively small amount of work to be done? Would he also investigate whether or not, for the major portion of the time since it arrived on site, it has been sitting there doing nothing? Would he find out if it is being charged against the job for the days and weeks it has not been operating?
Mr. Kenny
I will answer what I can at the moment. This was a normal but necessarily expensive operation. A dragline had to be brought in. It was taken from the Murrow coast protection scheme, County Wicklow, and brought to Sladanavoohogue Pier, Fanad, County Donegal, together with ancillary equipment, jobs, buckets and so on. It involved two heavy vehicles, a low-loader and a lorry, and had to be accompanied by a scout van. The operation involved a staff of five.
How long did it take?
Mr. Kenny
I do not know the number of days it took them.
It would have been weeks rather than days.
Mr. Kenny
I do not know. I will inquire into the other matters raised by the Deputy.
Will the Parliamentary Secretary also inquire whether it was necessary to move this machinery from the east coast to the north-west coast when in the north of Donegal a dragline of similar dimensions was not fully occupied? This dragline has been moved somewhere else since, maybe down south.
Mr. Kenny
I will inquire into that matter also.
I should like to ask the Parliamentary Secretary whether, due to the requests which the fishermen have made to have alterations made to the outline of the proposed improvements which has been referred to Roinn na Gaeltachta, if these alterations are considered favourably we can expect that any additional finance required will be forthcoming to cover the desirable alterations in the scheme?
Mr. Kenny
Does the Deputy know what the fishermen can do without?
It is not so much what they want but what they have omitted. should it happen that the alterations cost more than has been provided can we expect that the additional finance will be made available through Roinn na Gaeltachta?
Mr. Kenny
It may be made available but there will have to be a contribution from the county council.
16.
asked the Minister for Finance when repairs will be carried out to the crane at Malin Head pier, County Donegal.
Mr. Kenny
The crane is maintainable by the Donegal County Council.
Did the Parliamentary Secretary inquire as to whether any arrangements were being made for the repair of this crane?
Mr. Kenny
The only repair necessary is that the shaft has to be straightened. This is a matter for Donegal County Council. I am sure the Deputy, being a member of the county council, will inquire.
Whatever about the first half of the reply the latter part of the Parliamentary Secretary's reply is incorrect. I am not a member of Donegal County Council.
Mr. Kenny
I thought the Deputy was. The Deputy should ask his colleague who will look after it for him.