Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

374. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to outline the amount of money being provided for local authority harbour development, marine leisure and storm damage in 2015, by county, compared to 2014; the projects that will be funded this year in each county; if these projects have not yet been decided, when this is likely to happen; if all projects have to be completed within the calendar year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11785/15]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Local Authorities harbours, piers and slipways are owned by the Local Authorities themselves and responsibility for their repair and maintenance rests with the Local Authority in the first instance. My Department, however provides funding for the development and repair of Local Authority owned piers, harbours and slipways under the annual Fishery Harbour and Coastal Infrastructure Development Programme subject to available Exchequer funding and overall national priorities.

In 2014 I allocated €3m in funding to the Local Authorities under our regular Capital Programme. Furthermore as part of the overall Governments response to the extreme weather conditions in late 2013 and early 2014, as a once off exceptional measure I allocated an additional €7m for a “Storm Damage Programme”. In total €7.466m was spent by Local Authorities under these programmes.

Table 1 details the total funding allocations and final eligible expenditure levels by the Local Authorities under our 2014 programmes. For 2015 I have allocated €1.5 million for a Local Authority Harbour Development and Marine Leisure Programme. I am also providing in the region of €1.4m to facilitate the completion of a number of Local Authority Storm Damage Projects which were approved in 2014 but not completed due to time constraints and other issues. My Department has contacted the Local Authorities regarding these schemes.

The closing date for submission of projects by the Local Authorities for the Harbour Development and Marine Leisure Programme is the 25^thMarch. Decisions on the final make-up of the 2015 Local Authority capital programmes will be made following a detailed evaluation process on the projects proposed by the Local Authorities. The projects approved will have to be completed within the calendar year.

Table 1