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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 9 Oct 2002

Vol. 554 No. 5

Other Questions. - Marine Funding.

Cecilia Keaveney

Ceist:

98 Cecilia Keaveney asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the situation in relation to the Marine leisure development section of his Department; and when he envisages decisions will be taken on marine funding. [16986/02]

Following a Government decision in July 2000, the marine tourism and leisure division was set up in my Department with the aim of promoting the sustainable and safe development of the marine tourism and leisure sector in Ireland. Since that time, the division has covered the safety regulation of the marine leisure sector and managed the Department's grant funding to a number of special marine tourism and heritage projects, most notably those involving the Dunbrody and Jeanie Johnston replica vessels. The division is also responsible for the ongoing management of a special allocation of €5.715 million, which was provided by the Government in the 2000 budget for specific flagship marine leisure projects.

On a broader scale, my Department has recognised the importance of the marine tourism and leisure sector by introducing a €25.4 million marine tourism grant scheme, which is aimed at improving marine access infrastructure such as marinas, berths and slipways. The implementation of this grant scheme, which is a sub-measure of the overall NDP tourism measure 2000-06, is a very significant development as it will be the first time that my Department has taken a direct role in operating an investment programme for the marine tourism and leisure sector.

The marine tourism grant scheme was formally launched by my predecessor, the Minister, Deputy Frank Fahey, on 4 February 2002, and a number of eligible projects have been identified from the first call for applications which closed on 28 March 2002. It is intended that these projects will shortly undergo a more detailed examination by a project assessment committee, which has been established by my Department to assess all eligible projects with a view to forwarding recommendations to the Tourism Product Selection Board. This selection board has been set up by the Department of Tourism, Sport and Recreation as the final arbiter as to which projects should receive funding through the various grant schemes implemented under the overall tourism measure. It is my intention that this assessment phase will be completed in time to allow the selection board to be in a position to approve expenditure commitments under the scheme early in 2003, when the position regarding the availability of longer term funding under the NDP will be clarified.

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