David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)

A lot of issues have been raised by my colleagues, particularly by Teachtaí Mac Lochlainn and McGuinness, in relation to quotas, an existential threat facing fishermen and European and State policy. I support all of that and all the points that they made.

I wish to concentrate on infrastructure because it is important. The Minister visited Waterford recently. One of the points of the discussion was Helvick Harbour. The need to the develop those harbours is quite clear to anybody who is looking at this. We in Sinn Féin have been raising this issue for years. Helvick pier falls under the local authority harbours programme. The problem is that it does not get enough funding and is not able to do the engineering or environmental studies. That creates problems for projects to be done. Everybody gets sent around the houses. We go around in circles and the work does not get done. There needs to be a reform of how funding is provided in the first instance, particularly to those local authority harbours. Helvick is one of them, but there are others across the State as well.

I raise the issue of Dunmore East Harbour. It is an issue that I have been raising for a long number of years in relation to the development of that harbour. It is a shining example of what can be done regarding marine tourism and water sports activity. There is lots going on there during the summer. There is an adventure playground where young children can go out and swim in the harbour. There are fishing boats. Sometimes, we have cruise ships that come in. It is all fantastic. The problem is that they cannot all coexist in the current harbour because it is just not sufficient. There was a study commissioned by the Department a number of years ago. It was a very good study; it was a feasibility study on what needed to ensure that we can maximise the potential of Dunmore East Harbour. It outlined four options ranging from €17 million to €45 million. Nothing was done, not a thing. It dropped off the face of the earth. It dropped off a cliff. I have not seen anything from the Government or the Department since. Despite the fact I was submitting parliamentary questions well before the most recent general election, trying to get a sense of what happened there and where it went, we did not get any response. I ask the Minister to look into that feasibility study.

See this speech in context