Vol. 511 No. 5
50 Mr. O'Shea asked the Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources the allocation of capital funding from his Department to be made to the Waterford constituency in the year 2000; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24760/99]
Details of capital funding commitments in respect of Waterford in so far as they can be supplied are as follows. I will, however, announce my harbour development and coastal protection programmes for the year 2000 within the next two months.
My Department has a commitment to the Port of Waterford Company to provide funding of £1.2 million in 2000 and the following two years to meet an EIB loan repayment obligation – commitment to be reviewed thereafter.
Under the national development plan announced last week £46 million has been allocated for investment in regional ports. Waterford Port will be eligible to submit capital infrastructural projects for consideration under the next structural fund round.
The Irish Marine Emergency Service has a capital allocation of £250,000 for an accommodation block at Waterford Airport for Air Corps crew and support staff who provide a search and rescue helicopter service in the south east as a declared resource to IMES.
It is also proposed to provide refurbishment of an existing hangar at Waterford Airport for the Air Corps helicopter. However this project is on hold pending a review by the Minister of Defence of Air Corps equipment at Waterford following the tragic helicopter accident at Tramore in July of this year.
