John Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for attending. The flooding in the past week or ten days has caused problems in every county, including Wexford. Courtown Harbour and Marshmeadows in New Ross have both been affected. We are dealing today with Courtown Harbour. The Courtown Harbour and Pier Association has been in touch with me about the problems caused by storms in recent weeks. It states the pier at the back strand and boulders have been swept into the channel and that silting has occurred at the entrance, with the result that fishermen cannot put out to sea. As the Minister will be aware, coming from the south-east, Courtown is very dependent on tourism and fishing. In recent years, despite repeated requests and efforts by Wexford County Council to secure funding to upgrade the harbour at Courtown, nothing has happened to date. Numerous surveys have been carried out, the latest of which was by a company called Malachy Walsh & Partners Consulting Engineers. It proposed solutions, but solutions cannot be effected unless there is sufficient money available.

The piers are in a dangerous state of disrepair and there are massive holes where the concrete facing on the front of both piers has fallen off. The pylons are rusted and some have fallen off. At one stage, some of them were sticking out at the mouth of the harbour, causing problems for fishermen trying to gain access. A large hole appeared in the south pier recently, with the result that seawater from the back beach was flowing through into the channel. The storm caused massive damage to the coastline and it is a miracle that the piers are still standing.

As I stated, countless surveys have been carried out of the piers, but no recommendation has been implemented. There have been numerous meetings and numerous Ministers have visited - Mr. Seán Kelly, MEP, visited recently - but the locals believe they are being fobbed off and not getting any concrete answer or funding to solve the problem.

As well as being a fishing harbour with five fishing trawlers, the harbour depends very much on tourism. There are leisure boats and yachts. Many other types of boat use the harbour regularly. However, because of the silting they are unable to gain access. The yachting club made an application to Wexford County Council to drain the harbour to carry out some necessary works, but it seems this did not happen because the club was told it could not do so for health and safety reasons. The club was willing to put up half the money, which would have benefited all the people using the harbour. Perhaps the Minister of State will respond on how this problem can be addressed. If organisations are prepared to put up money, surely the Government and the council should reciprocate by putting forward money.

As the Minister of State knows, fishermen are very dependent on the weather. In recent years, however, even when the weather was good, they have been unable to gain access to the sea to fish because of the silting of the harbour. Whelk fishing is very important to Courtown Harbour, but, as I stated, the fishermen are finding it very difficult to fish.

I thank the Minister of State for attending. I ask him to have discussions with Wexford County Council which I am sure will be only too willing to propose a solution if he can find the necessary money to put it into effect. I ask him to consider making funding available as soon as possible.

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