asked the Minister for Transport and Power if he will make money available for work on the Boyne river walls which are in urgent need of repair.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Boyne River Walls.
9.
The Drogheda Harbour Commissioners have applied to me for a 100 per cent State grant for repair and renewal of the Boyne river walls, the estimated cost of which has risen in stages from £80,000 in 1971 to £442,000 in July, 1975.
The application is at present being examined in regard to technical and navigational safety aspects of the proposed works. I would point out, however, that this work comes under the heading of harbour maintenance the financing of which is the responsibility of the harbour authority.
Has the Minister had a report from the harbour commissioners in relation to the deterioration which is occurring in the walls of the river Boyne? Is any money to be made available by his Department to reconstruct those walls?
The report has come to my Department and my technical advisers in this are the Office of Public Works, who are examining this report at the moment. I will not make any decision or commit myself in any way until I see what they have to say about the cost and the amount of work necessary.
Would the Minister agree that if this money were made available it could be of very great assistance in ensuring that there will be no redundancy in the port and possibly would help to reduce the number of unemployed in the town?
I frankly do not see the connection. This will be purely a maintenance job on the harbour walls between the town of Drogheda and the sea. That is what is involved here. While it may have some effect on redundancy in Drogheda at the time of the reconstruction, repair and maintenance of these walls it would not have a long term effect.