Written answers

Wednesday, 16 July 2014

Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Fishery Harbour Centres

Photo of Tommy BroughanTommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Independent)
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186. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the actions that have been taken and will be taken by his Department in line with the recommendations made in the report of the Comptroller and Auditor General entitled Financial Management and Reporting for Fishery Harbour Centres dated April 2014. [31813/14]

Photo of Simon CoveneySimon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, owns and directly manages six Fishery Harbour Centres located at Howth, Dunmore East, Castletownbere, Ros an Mhíl, Killybegs and An Daingean.The Comptroller and Auditor General published a Special Report on the Financial Management and Reporting for Fishery Harbour Centres on 8thJuly 2014. The report notes that improvements have taken place with regard to the Financial Management arrangements at the Fishery Harbour Centres and focuses on ways to further enhance these arrangements.

Department officials worked closely with staff of the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor in the preparation and finalisation of the report. The Department accepts the recommendations of the report and work is now underway to implement them.

Photo of Tommy BroughanTommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Independent)
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187. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the position regarding his proposal to introduce paid parking charges in Howth Harbour; his position in relation to certain sections of the report of the Comptroller and Auditor General entitled Financial Management and Reporting for Fishery Harbour Centres dated April 2014 which refer to parking charges in Howth. [31818/14]

Photo of Simon CoveneySimon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, owns and directly manages six Fishery Harbour Centres located at Howth, Dunmore East, Castletownbere, Ros an Mhíl, Killybegs and An Daingean. The introduction of paid car parking on Howth Harbour as part of an overall review of traffic management arrangements has been under consideration for some time.

The Comptroller and Auditor General published a Special Report on the Financial Management and Reporting for Fishery Harbour Centres on 8thJuly 2014. The report focuses on ways to enhance the financial arrangements in the Fishery Harbour Centres, and brings particular attention to the possibility of introducing paid car parking in Howth.

The question of paid car parking in Howth Fishery Harbour Centre remains under active review and the views of the Comptroller and Auditor General will be considered in making any final decision.

There is a broad range of other factors to be taken into account before a final decision will be made on the matter; first and foremost Howth Fishery Harbour Centre is a working fishery harbour, one of the six Fishery Harbour Centres in the State. The safe operation of the Harbour is of paramount concern, in this context, traffic management and parking is recognised as an issue, particularly, though not exclusively, during the busy holiday periods.

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