Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 23 March 2017
174. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if an application for funding under the 2017 fishery harbour development scheme was submitted by a local authority for a pier (details supplied) in County Mayo; and if so, the reason his Department did not short-list this application for consideration. [14704/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraRinroe Pier is owned by Mayo County Council and responsibility for its maintenance and development rests with that local authority in the first instance.
My Department, however, provides funding for the development and repair of Local Authority owned piers, harbours and slipways under the annual Fishery Harbour and Coastal Infrastructure Development Programme subject to available Exchequer funding and overall national priorities.
My Department did receive an application from Mayo County Council for a Davit Arm System on Rinroe Pier, under the 2017 Fishery Harbour and Coastal Infrastructure Development Programme. Due to the level of demand, my Department is only considering funding for projects that were deemed high priority by the Local Authorities. The Rinroe project did not meet this criteria and did not meet other necessary criteria, therefore the project was not approved for funding in this round.
The terms and conditions of the Fishery Harbour and Coastal Infrastructure Development Programme require that all projects meet necessary criteria to be deemed eligible for inclusion.
Applications submitted by Mayo County Council under future Local Authority capital programmes will be given consideration in the context of the criteria set out, available Exchequer funding and overall national priorities.
