Ciarán Cuffe (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)
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Question 149: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the procedures for the allocation of funding under the fisheries harbour development fund; when it was decided to approve the €3.2 million grant allocation to works in Greencastle Harbour on 14 February 2006, the €300,000 allocated for works in Buncrana Harbour on 6 February 2006 and the €884,500 that was allocated to Burtonport Harbour on 24 January 2006; the cost benefit analysis conducted in relation to each of these approvals; the other funding which has been agreed for the 2006 programme; and when this funding was committed. [6743/06]

Noel Dempsey (Meath, Fianna Fail)
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The National Development Plan 2000-2006 provides for an investment of €84.35 million over the period of the plan for the development and construction of fishery harbour and related facilities at key strategic fishery harbours and the construction and improvement of berthage at smaller harbours and landing places. Major fishery harbour projects proposed for funding are submitted in the Department's multi-annual capital programme and are approved for funding on that basis. Feasibility studies and-or cost benefit analyses are carried out in all cases before sanction is granted to proceed with these major projects. Funding of €22.5 million is available for the fishery harbours development programme in 2006, of which approximately €2 million is being assigned to the programme for funding of small fishery harbours.

The Greencastle development is estimated to cost in the region of €33 million. This project is being managed by the Department's engineering division on behalf of Donegal County Council. A cost benefit analysis was carried out in 2005. Expenditure of €3.2 million this year, of which the Department's contribution is €2.4 million, has been approved to commence stage one of a four stage development.

Under the small fishery harbours programme, the Department receives proposals from local authorities in relation to harbours under their ownership on an ongoing basis. Local authorities tend to prioritise their proposals and Donegal County Council identified Burtonport and Buncrana as requiring urgent works. The Department allocated €225,000 for works at Buncrana to construct a breakwater at the harbour to improve access to the harbour by the fishing industry and the RNLI lifeboat. Some €585,000 is allocated to Burtonport to continue phase two of the dredging at the harbour. The remainder of the allocation for the small harbours programme is under consideration at present.

A list of projects approved under the fishery harbours development programme for 2006 follows.