Clare Daly (Dublin North, United Left)
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400. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department received an application, dated 24 March 2015, from Sligo County Council for funding for the Rosses Point Pier and pontoon scheme under the marine leisure and marine tourism scheme; if his Department offered the council a grant for the scheme; and if so, on what date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28857/15]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Rosses Point is in the ownership of Sligo County Council and responsibility for its development, repair and maintenance rests with the Local Authority in the first instance. That said, under the Fishery Harbour and Coastal Infrastructure Development Programme this Department has in previous years provided funding for the development and repair of Local Authority owned harbours, piers and slipways subject to exchequer resources. I allocated €1.6m for the 2015 Local Authority Harbour Development and Marine Leisure Programme.

Sligo County Council submitted an application for Rosses Point for design and construction of a pontoon and access ramp under our 2015 Programme. When a detailed application was sought regarding the project, it emerged that the project involved planning, detailed design and tender documents and the costs attached thereto and that there would be no capital works involved.

Funding provided under our Programme is for the purpose of capital works only. Funding for studies, surveys, design fees or costs attached with obtaining necessary consents for a project are not allowable as projects or project costs under the programme. Thus this project did not qualify for funding under the 2015 Programme.

Any application submitted by Sligo County Council for funding under the Capital Programme in future years for capital works for Rosses Point will be given consideration based on Exchequer funding and overall national priorities.