Michael McNamara (Clare, Labour)
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224. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of works carried out on piers, harbours and coastal infrastructure, for which his Department is responsible, following the storms and high tides in 2013 and 2014; the number of works carried out in each county; the cost of each project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17729/15]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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My Department owns, manages and maintains the six Fishery Harbour Centres located at, Howth, Dunmore East, Castletownbere, An Daingean, Ros An Mhil and Killybegs. It also has responsibility for North Harbour Cape Clear, and a limited number of piers, lights and beacons in accordance with the 1902 ex-congested Districts Board piers, lights and Beacons Act.

No significant damage was caused to the six fishery harbour centres during the course of the extreme weather in late 2013 and early months of 2014. Table 1 below outlines the storm damage spending in 2014 on other pieces of infrastructure owned by the Dept. A further €900,000 has been allocated for 2015, to complete the works to repair the storm damage on Cape Clear.

As part of the Government’s overall response to the damage caused by the storms of 2013 and 2014 my Department funded coastal Local Authorities in 2014 to the tune of €5.316m to repair piers and harbours and eligible marine infrastructure, owned by them which were damaged by the storms. Table 2 below provides details.

I have also allocated €1.4m in 2015 to enable Local Authorities complete storm damage projects approved in 2014, which were unfinished in 2014, due to time and other constraints.

Table 1.

Table 2.