Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. As she will be aware, Galway County Council is the body responsible for development of stage 3 of the Caladh Mór pier development on Inis Meáin. Users of the pier, including a number of State-subsidised ferry operators, have highlighted issues with capacity within the harbour, as well as with currents around the mouth of the harbour. As part of the preparatory works, the National Maritime College of Ireland, NMCI, was instructed by Galway County Council to develop a model simulation for the harbour, which will inform the business case options for the development. The NMCI hosted a group of islanders, ferry operators and officials at its facility in July for a demonstration of the initial iteration of the marine simulation. Following feedback from the various parties that attended the demonstration, the NMCI is furthering the development of the simulation. It is expected that the updated simulation will give a more precise and accurate overview of how the conditions at the pier affect the specific key vessels that use it. Galway County Council is in ongoing contact with the ferry and cargo operators to collate the technical specifications which the NMCI will use in its updated simulation. Once the NMCI has completed its work, Galway County Council will incorporate the findings into its draft business case. Following on from this, the Department will then be able to evaluate the next steps in the process, in line with the public spending code and available funding.

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