Trevor Ó Clochartaigh (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. I am very grateful to him for coming before the House to take this matter, which relates to Ros a'Mhíl harbour in Connemara.

In 1999 HGL O'Connor & Co. carried out a feasibility study for deep water jetty at Ros a' Mhíl for Roinn na Gaeltachta. In 2000 the then Department of the Marine and Natural Resources commissioned O’Hare & Associates to assess the viability of the development of a deep water pier in Ros a' Mhíl. This report justified the development on safety and economic grounds and recommended that there be two separate developments, the first of which related to the provision of a dedicated ferry berth and the second to the construction of a deep-water pier, 200 m in length and with minimum depth of 8 m. Mott McDonald EPO Limited produced design and costings for the development at that time and estimated that the overall cost would be £21 million. In November 2000, the then Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources announced the provision of £14.8 investment for Ros a’ Mhíl Harbour under the national development plan, NDP. In December of that year some £7 million was allocated to Ros a’ Mhíl under the budget for 2001. To date, some €6 million has been spent on the project. Planning permission has been obtained for the further development of the deep-water berth and all necessary statutory permits are in place. The only requirements necessary for this project to proceed are funding and support from the Government.

The development to which I refer is needed because Ros a’ Mhíl is a major fishery harbour centre and it is situated closest to the most productive fishing grounds in western Europe. Landings of fish have declined in recent years as the new generation of vessels produced under the whitefish fleet renewal scheme require greater depth and cannot access the pier on a 24-hour basis. Fishing boats over 100 ft. in length have been prohibited from entering the harbour due to a lack of deep-water berthage. Unless deep-water facilities are provided at Ros a' Mhíl this declining trend in fish landings will continue.

From a tourism perspective, Ros a' Mhíl is the main port of access to the Aran Islands, with an excess of 350,000 passenger movements per annum. It is the fourth largest port in the country in the context of passenger movements. Given that a ferry company is operating out of the harbour, this makes it a very important tourism hub. We are delighted by the fact that pontoons have been put in place in the harbour to facilitate the ferry services.

In the context of the commercial aspect, Coiste Pobail Ros a' Mhíl has surveyed 50 national and international companies operating in the area. All the companies which responded stated that the development of a deep-water harbour at Ros a' Mhíl would allow them to expand their operations and create additional employment. The development of a deep-water harbour would give rise to a domino effect, encourage the growth of entrepreneurial ventures in the region and create a new gateway into the west of Ireland. Marine transport is the most cost-efficient method of bulk transport. A deep-water pier would facilitate the development of industries in the Border, midlands and west, BMW, area which produce bulk cargos. This method of transport dramatically reduces the number of heavy goods vehicles on the roads. A deep-water pier would also be ideal in the context of servicing other industries in the region.

From a services perspective, the development of Ros a' Mhíl would create employment in related service industries, such as transport, engineering, hotels, restaurants, etc. In addition, a deep-water facility would provide a safe and accessible harbour for State services operating off the west coast.

Ros a' Mhíl is a safe, sheltered, natural harbour located 24 miles west of Galway city. Most of the land in the harbour area is State owned and designated for industrial development. The road infrastructure could be improved if the outer ring road is upgraded. The project relating to Ros a' Mhíl has been actively supported by a number of Government Departments. Where does the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine currently stand in the context of the development of Ros a' Mhíl as a port, particularly in the context of the putting in place of a deep-water berth there? If the harbour is developed, this will ensure the best possible use of facilities in the west and will give rise to the creation of much badly-need employment. The western region has been badly affected by the emigration that has resulted from the economic downturn. I look forward to the Minister of State's reply, which he will deliver on behalf of the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine.