asked the Minister for Fisheries and Forestry if he will have finance provided in the Estimates for the dredging and development of Burtonport Harbour, County Donegal.
15.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - County Donegal Harbour Development.
14.
asked the Minister for Fisheries and Forestry the estimated cost of dredging Burtonport Harbour, County Donegal.
16.
asked the Minister for Fisheries and Forestry if he will allocate money in the 1985 Estimates to dredge Burtonport Harbour, County Donegal.
17.
asked the Minister for Fisheries and Forestry the up to date position in relation to the dredging of and improvements to the harbour at Burtonport, County Donegal.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 14 to 17, inclusive, together.
The dredging of Burtonport Harbour together with other harbour works will be considered in the context of drawing up the 1985 harbour improvement programme. In deciding on that programme account will have to be taken of the provision in the Fisheries Vote for harbour works and the cost of completing works already in hands. As the contract for the dredging in Burtonport will be on the basis of competitive tenders it would not be appropriate to disclose the estimate of cost at this stage.
What type of development is proposed for Burtonport harbour?
That is hardly covered in the question.
It is not covered here. I have not got the list of items for the development of Burtonport harbour here. The Deputy asked a specific question about the dredging of Burtonport harbour.
One of the questions may not be mine but it asked about the dredging and improvements to the harbour at Burtonport. Let me ask by way of supplementary what improvements are being considered.
The list of improvements is not in the notes I have, but I understand from what is here that 75 per cent of the grant would be paid by our Department and 25 per cent by Donegal County Council. I have not got a list of the improvements here, but I will get it and pass it on to the Deputies.
Is there a change in policy as far as the Gaeltacht areas are concerned? The Minister of State tells us that 75 per cent of the cost will be borne by the Department of Fisheries and Forestry and 25 per cent by Donegal County Council. Could the Minister of State enlighten the House and let us know when policy in relation to inprovements in Gaeltacht areas has been changed?
I am——
A Cheann Comhairle, you were familiar with this in the past. It was 50 per cent from the Department of the Gaeltacht, 50 per cent from the Department of Fisheries and no contributions from Donegal County Council.
That information is here. In the interests of the fishermen the Department of Fisheries and Forestry will have to finance the project by way of 75 per cent grant to Donegal County Council. Accordingly, this project will be included in the list of works to be considered for inclusion in the 1985 harbour improvement programme which at present being drawn up in consultation with the OPW.
Is the Minister of State writing into the record of the House that it will not be necessary for Roinn na Gaeltachta to provide any moneys for harbour development such as the dredging and extension of the harbour at Burtonport?
That is my information.
I appreciate that the Minister of State cannot have all the information to hand, only what he has in the file, but I ask him to have this investigated immediately.
My understanding is that there has been great disagreement with the Department of the Gaeltacht in relation to this harbour. Now it is in the interests of the fishermen up there that the grant be made 75 per cent by the Department of Fisheries——
To clarify the matter, has a grant been allocated by Roinn na Gaeltachta for the development in question.
No.
Why?
It seems that they cannot provide funds of the order required to meet their share of the cost of dredging Burtonport harbour. These funds are to be provided by the Department 75 per cent and 25 per cent by Donegal County Council.
Was the grant already approved by Roinn na Gaeltachta?
Not to my knowledge. I am giving the information which is on the file.
Would the Minister of State agree that this is a very devious method being used by the Minister for Fisheries and Forestry, who is also Minister for the Gaeltacht to extract 25 per cent of the cost of this from Donegal County Council who have no funds to fill potholes at the moment? It is a very devious way of doing it. If we have not the money, then if Donegal County Council's answer is that they have not got the money, that they cannot put up the £3 to every £1. I ask the Minister respectfully to go back to the Department of the Gaeltacht and ask them to provide 50 per cent and the Department of Fisheries and Forestry to provide 50 per cent. Will the Minister accept that the outgoing Government in November 1982 had £1 million in the Estimates for the development and when £1 million had to be reduced from the Estimate of the Department of Fisheries and Forestry, Burtonport, because it is in west Donegal——
The Deputy seems to be misinformed. Despite the fact that this Department made provision in their Estimates for 1981 and 1982 for their share of 50 per cent of the cost, the dredging of Burtonport harbour did not succeed because Roinn na Gaeltachta did not provide the funds for their share of the cost. That was for two years running. Now in the interests of fishing in that area the only thing we can do is to fund 75 per cent of the cost from my Department and 25 per cent from the county council because the other people will not put up the funds.
The Minister of State is shifting the money.
I am not shifting the money.
He will not cod the people in Donegal much longer.