Seán Haughey (Dublin Bay North, Fianna Fail)
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227. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will sanction the dredging of Howth fishery harbour centre given that the silting problem is becoming serious; the issues to be considered and the process to be followed in respect of this application; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21730/16]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Howth Fishery Harbour Centre is one of the six designated Fishery Harbour Centres which are owned, managed and maintained by my Department under Statute.

I am happy to advise the Deputy that, notwithstanding the prevailing economic environment in which we operate, in excess of €5.9 million has been invested in maintenance, development and upgrading works at Howth FHC as part of my Department’s Fishery Harbour and Coastal Infrastructure Development Programme from 2011 to 2015.

With regard to a possible dredging project in Howth Fishery Harbour Centre I would advise the Deputy that a draft report from a site investigation project which was commissioned in 2015 was received in March 2016. The draft report has been assessed by the Department’s engineers. This report includes vital information on the nature of the material to be dredged in any future dredging project. In this context €100,000 has been allocated this year for the preparation of a Dumping at Sea Licence.

My Department has also recently appointed a Consulting Engineer to examine the various options for dredging and disposal of dredged material based on the information in the Site Investigation Report.

Depending on the outcome of this process, and as is the case for all developments in the six Fishery Harbour Centres, a possible future dredging project at Howth Fishery Harbour Centre will be considered under future Capital Programmes on the basis of available exchequer funding and competing priorities.