David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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17. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the way his Department supports smaller ports and harbours; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26071/15]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine is responsible for the six Fishery Harbour Centres located at Howth, Dunmore East, Castletownbere, Dingle, Ros an Mhíl and Killybegs. This Department is also responsible for North Harbour at Cape Clear Island and for maintaining a range of piers, lights and beacons around the coast in accordance with the 1902 ex-congested Districts Board Piers, Lights and Beacons Act. The Fishery Harbour & Coastal Infrastructure Development Programme which the Department administers on an annual basis provides for works relating to the maintenance and development of the above located harbour infrastructure.

The Department of Agriculture, Food & the Marine’s Fishery Harbour & Coastal Infrastructure Development Programme has in previous years provided funding to Local Authorities for small scale development and repair of Local Authority owned piers, harbours & slipways subject to the availability of exchequer funding. Under the Programme Local Authorities are invited to submit project proposals for funding subject to certain conditions and criteria. Proposals for works are evaluated and selected taking cognisance of the geographical spread of projects, the priority the Local Authority itself attaches to individual projects and the criteria and conditions set for the Programme.

In 2015 I approved funding for 25 projects across 12 Local Authorities. Counties Clare, Cork, Donegal, Fingal, Galway, Kerry, Louth, Mayo, Sligo, Waterford, Wexford and Wicklow were allocated a total of €1,617,000 under the 2015 Programme. I will provide a table showing the details of the allocations by Local Authority directly to the Deputy.

It is important to clarify that with regard to Local Authority harbours and piers, these are owned by the Local Authorities themselves and responsibility for their repair, maintenance and development rests with the Local Authority. The parent Department for Local Authorities is the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government.