Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent)
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99. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department will consider providing funding for a short extension to the pier at Courtown, County Wexford, which continues to deteriorate, in order to deal with ongoing silting problems at the harbour and the difficulties this creates for fishermen and other boat users; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6314/14]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The Pier at Courtown, County Wexford is owned by Wexford County Council and responsibility for its repair and maintenance rests with the Local Authority in the first instance. Under the Fishery Harbour and Coastal Infrastructure Development Programme my Department has, in previous years, provided funding for the development and repair of Local Authority owned harbours, piers and slipways subject to the availability of exchequer funding. Funding for this programme is allocated on an annual basis.

Under the 2013 Fishery Harbour and Coastal Infrastructure Development Programme Wexford County Council received funding in the amount of €11,250 for repointing works at Courtown Harbour. The allocation of funding within the 2014 Programme is currently under consideration. Any application for funding in 2014 or future years by Wexford County Council will be given consideration subject to available exchequer funding and overall national priorities.

That said I am also acutely aware of the ferocity of the recent storms combined with the exceptionally high tides which in combination have resulted in widespread damage to vital public infrastructure in various small local authority piers and harbours including Courtown. I am working closely with my Ministerial colleagues in cabinet, in evaluating the overall extent of the damage, and in developing a co-ordinated response by relevant Local Authorities, Government Departments and Agencies to the damage that was wreaked on our coastal communities as a result of the exceptionally bad storms. I have offered the services of my Department in this regard, and fully expect to have a prominent role in the Governments co-ordinated response to the situation.