Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 23 Nov 1999

Vol. 511 No. 3

Written Answers. - Departmental Projects.

Billy Timmins

Ceist:

112 Mr. Timmins asked the Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources the projects, if any, in which his Department is involved in County Wicklow; the commitments, if any, he has given for new projects in the county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24402/99]

Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources (Dr. Woods)

Details regarding projects involving my Department in County Wicklow and commitments given by my Department for new projects in the county are as follows:

1.Wicklow and Arklow Harbour Commissioners have been asked to make a case for their corporatisation as individual, fully-fledged commercial State companies. Arklow Harbour Authority has recently been notified that my Department will fund the cost associated with the completion of an integrated development plan, up to a maximum of £20,000.

2.An offer of a foreshore lease was made to Arklow Marina Limited on 29 July 1999 for a new 30 berth marina at North Quay, Arklow.

3.Remedial works are being undertaken on the pier in Bray. The work involves the removal of obstructions on the seabed, driving of permanent steel piles and construction of a new concrete wall encasing the piles over a length of 100 metres. In addition, a concrete deck slab will be constructed over the entire 240 metres of the existing south pier. The cost of the works is estimated at £1 million.

4.The following are projects to which funding has been committed under the Tourism Angling Measure Operational Programme, 1994 to 1999.

Projects-Applicant	Funding(Committed)£	T.A.M.element%
Development works at Ashtown Reservoir (disused).Applicant: Vartry Angling Club	1,241	50
Sea angling signposting information stands along the east coast (five counties)Applicant: Eastern Regional Fisheries Board	5,400(Co. Wicklowelement)	75
Excavation and development of site, including stocking of lake.Applicant: Humewood Castle	16,975	35

Other Commitments (non-ERDF)

Project	Costs	Funding
Vartry management catchment plan (pilot project)Applicant: Eastern Regional Fisheries Board	Ongoing(£6,000 costs to date)	100%Exchequerfunding.

5.The following projects have received funding under the Fisheries Operational Programme, 1994 to 1999.

Aquaculture Projects

Inter Eascann Teo.

£84,012 (total investment)

Aqua Arklow Limited.

£618,747 (total investment)

Processing Projects

Annamoe Trout Sales Limited

£80,370 (total investment)

Irfish Limited:

£109,147 (total investment)

6.Forestry-related Projects

Under the harvesting provision, my Department approved four offers of grant assistance in 1999 towards harvesting machinery in County Wicklow, totalling £494,400, and has paid one grant of £56,000 in the county to date. The forest service was also involved in: supporting the Sculpture in Woodland project, Devil's Glen, Wicklow; grant aiding Powerscourt amenity woodland project; and supporting the Wicklow uplands project and seminar 1998-99.

7.Mineral Exploration

There are six prospecting licences issued by me under the Minerals Development Acts, 1940 to 1999, in the south of the county. Exploration is ongoing by the four companies which hold them. The licences are described in more detail in the six monthly report for the period to the end of June 1999, which I laid before the Oireachtas in August.

I have authorised a request for tender for a consultancy study of acid rock drainage, ARD, from the area of the former mine workings into the Avoca river. The terms of reference for the study are being finalised by my Department. The intended study is required to quantify and identify sources of ARD and to identify feasible economic strategies for dealing with it. The study is expected to take up to a year in field work and measurement, and it is hoped that it can commence in early 2000.