Joe Walsh (Cork South West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 269: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources if he will approve a grant towards improvement works to a pier (details supplied) in County Cork. [23857/06]

John Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Garnish Pier is owned by Cork County Council and responsibility for its repair and maintenance rests with the local authority in the first instance. Cork County Council submitted a proposal to the Department of Communications Marine and Natural Resources for works at Garnish Pier at an estimated cost of €750,000. Last year, under the Small Fishery Harbours Programme, the Department allocated funding of €45,000 to Cork County Council towards pier improvement works at Garnish Pier costing a total of €60,000.

Garnish Pier is in an area coming within the scope of the CLÁR Programme. However, the current project cannot be considered for funding under the coastal development measure of that Programme, which is co-funded between the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs and this Department. One of the criteria for grant aid under this scheme is that only projects costing up to a maximum of €200,000 per project are funded.

There was no funding available from the Department of Communications Marine and Natural Resources in 2006 for this project. The question of providing funding in the post 2006 period will be considered in the context of the amount of the funding available for works at fishery harbours generally and overall national priorities.