Barry Ward (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)

I thank the Minister of State for his response.

I appreciate the suggestion that the Government is fully committed to the protection and preservation of our maritime cultural heritage. Regrettably, I do not think the evidence is there to support that statement. If we were serious about maintaining these important heritage harbours, we would put in place a scheme to do that, and not say that there is a load of grants that might be available at the right time and in the right circumstances. That will not solve the problem.

I have spoken mostly about Dún Laoghaire, but just down the coast is Bullock Harbour, north of Dalkey and south of Dún Laoghaire. It is hugely important, much older harbour, that, for some reason, was left in the ownership of Dublin Port. I am not aware that Dublin Port sent a single euro to maintain that important harbour, which is much older and dates back to medieval times. It is another very important heritage harbour, where the wall is so unstable, that, for a long time, people were not even allowed to walk on it. Further south again is what I think is the smallest operating harbour on the east coast of Ireland, Coliemore Harbour, which is opposite Dalkey Island. This harbour was there in Viking times, to allow the Vikings to transport goods to and from their trading posts on Dalkey Island. We know that a large slab of granite fell off the wall of that harbour in recent years in a place where people swim, people have small boats and where there are small fishermen and boat tours to Dalkey Island.

If we are serious about maintaining these important structures, let us put in place a scheme that shows we are serious. Let us put in place an actual heritage harbours scheme that helps places such as Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown deal with what is an estimated €800,000 annual maintenance cost just for Dún Laoghaire Harbour. That does not include Bullock Harbour and Coliemore Harbour. For all the other local authorities around the country, it does not include from Cahersiveen and Castlemaine to Drogheda, Dundalk and north Donegal. I am only aware of eight harbours that are actually owned and maintained by the State. The rest of them are left to the mercy of local authorities who might or might not find the funding to do what needs to be done to preserve them.

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