Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)
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830. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if it has been brought to his attention that a sand bank has built up at the entrance to Mullaghmore Harbour, County Sligo, creating a hazard for boat users; if he has received an application from Sligo County Council for grant assistance to implement a scheme to remove the sand bank; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27827/13]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Mullaghmore Harbour is owned by Sligo County Council and responsibility for its repair and maintenance rests with the Local Authority in the first instance.

My Department provides funding for the development and repair of Local Authority owned harbours, piers and slipways as part of the Fishery Harbour and Coastal Infrastructure Development Programme.

On the 18^th December 2012, all coastal Local Authorities were requested to submit, in order of priority, a list of projects for consideration for funding under the 2013 Fishery Harbour and Coastal Infrastructure Development Programme.

My Department received an application from Sligo County Council for funding for a total of 5 projects, of which Mullaghmore Bay and Harbour area was identified as the 5^th project in order of priority. However, the application for Mullaghmore Bay and Harbour did not meet with the qualifying criteria and accordingly was not included in the projects approved under the 2013 programme.

Any application submitted by Sligo County Council under the Capital Programme in future years will be given consideration in the context of available Exchequer funding and overall national priorities.