(Wexford): I thank the Chair for the opportunity of raising this issue on the Adjournment and the Minister of State, Deputy Gilmore, for coming to the House. I hope he will be able to clarify a number of matters that I intend to raise.
There seems to be at present in Wicklow a certain amount of confusion about announcements made by the Minister of State, Deputy Gilmore, and the Minister, Deputy Barrett, over the last few weeks. At a time when we hear much talk about transparency, openness and accountability, the people of Wicklow do not feel there is much of it about. On 23 May the Minister announced an allocation of £1.5 million for Arklow port development. Also on 23 May £0.5 million was announced for Wicklow port development and on 7 June £2.3 million was announced by the Minister, Deputy Barrett, for coastal protection at Bray. These allocations amounted to a total of £4.3 million. The people in charge of the projects understood that they would be allocated this amount of money. Now it seems to have been reduced from £4.3 million to £2.8 million. Perhaps the Minister of State, Deputy Gilmore, could explain the vanishing millions.
When the announcement of £1.5 million was made for Arklow harbour development, the people in charge understood that the full amount would be allocated by the Government. On the strength of the announcement the harbour board called a meeting and had a celebratory drink. However, during the last week they received a letter from an official in the Minister's Department explaining that the allocation of £1.5 million has now been reduced to £700,000 and they themselves will have to come up with £800,000. Arklow port has spent about £267,000 on dredging in the last few years and there is little likelihood of the harbour board coming up with the amount of money now expected by the Department of the Marine. They have informed me that, because of lack of funds, they will be unable to proceed further with the project.
The same is true of Wicklow harbour and in regard to coastal protection at Bray. The allocation here has been reduced from £2.3 million to £1.6 million. That means the locals will have to come up with £600,000 which is practically impossible.
I am not alleging that there was any deliberate misleading of the people involved in the three projects, but there was a perception in Arklow, in Wicklow and in Bray that the full amount of money would be made available to them through 48 per cent funding from the EU and 52 per cent funding from the Government. The letters they have received from civil servants in the Department during the week indicate that this is not the case.
When the Minister was on this side of the House, he was very vocal in stating that county councils were strapped for cash and would be in no position to raise matching funds. If they are expected to come up with the amount of money the Minister is talking about now, these projects will not be able to proceed. I ask the Minister to clarify the position because there is confusion in Wicklow. I have been canvassing there for the last three or four days and the people are very cynical about the role of politicians and this type of announcement.