John Perry (Sligo-North Leitrim, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am taking this matter on behalf of the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy Coveney, who is unable to be present.

The harbour at Ros a' Mhíl is one of the six designated fishery harbour centres which are owned, managed and maintained by the Department. Funding is made available on an annual basis by the Department to the fishery harbour centres, including Ros a' Mhíl, via the fishery harbour and coastal infrastructure capital development programme. Ros a' Mhíl Harbour consists of the well-sheltered Cashla Bay, within which lies the inner harbour area. The bay is strategically located at the northern approaches to Galway Bay. It was designated as a fishery harbour centre in 1981. A phased programme for the infrastructural development of Ros a' Mhíl fishery harbour centre has been progressed in recent years. Over €22 million was invested in capital developments at Ros a' Mhíl fishery harbour centre between 2002 and 2013. This level of investment is a significant commitment to the harbour and has facilitated the manufacture and installation of modern ferry pontoons, dredging works and the provision of a small craft harbour. A state-of-the-art embarkation point for residents and visitors to the Aran Islands is now in place and this enhances the services provided to and the safety of all Ros a' Mhíl fishery harbour centre uses. This is a major contribution to local tourism, with an estimated 500,000 passengers having used the ferry since 2011.

As part of the 2014 capital programme, the Minister, Deputy Coveney, has approved total funding of €329,000 for harbour maintenance and development at Ros a' Mhíl. Specifically, he approved €133,000 for the design and planning of a new slipway in Ros a' Mhíl Harbour. The latter will allow for greater use of the harbour by small craft, the existing fishing fleet and aquaculture operators.

Subject to available finances, the development will be completed in stages. The final cost is expected to be in the region of €2.5 million. Additionally, the Minister has allocated €31,000 as part of the 2014 capital programme to fund the design and planning of phase 2 of the small craft harbour which will further benefit and service the ever-increasing marine tourism and leisure activities on the west coast.

Proposals for the deep water quay at Ros a' Mhíl have been mooted for some time and planning permission was sought and obtained. Due to budgetary constraints, the project has not yet progressed. Most recently, an economic survey on Ros a' Mhíl has been undertaken by Bord Iascaigh Mhara with a view to informing further strategic development of the seafood sector in the area. It is expected that this will be published in the near future. Any future decision regarding the provision of a deep water quay at Ros a' Mhíl fishery harbour centre will be informed by sound economic considerations, competing priorities and the availability of Exchequer funding.

On a broader note, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine also funds local authority projects for the development of piers, harbours and slipways in local authority ownership in addition to separate funding for selected marine and other leisure projects. In 2013, €450,000 was spent on four Galway County Council owned harbours. The Minister has also allocated €3 million in 2014 for such programmes nationally. His expectation is to seek applications from Galway County Council for appropriate projects in the coming weeks. On 20 March this year, the Minister announced €8.5 million in funding for a programme to repair publicly owned piers, harbours and slipways damaged by the winter storms. This is a once-off measure as part of the Government's overall response to the damage inflicted on our national piers and harbours infrastructure this winter. In particular, €7 million has been allocated to 11 coastal local authorities in respect of 111 projects. In this context, the Minister has approved funding of €2 million for Galway County Council to repair 15 piers and harbours around the county's coastline.