Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

768. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the amount spent to date on remedial works on the former Irish Steel and Irish Ispat site at Haulbowline, County Cork; the approved budgeted spend in 2016 and the plans for spending in 2017; the estimated overall cost of completing the remedial works; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27164/16]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I have Ministerial responsibility for the remediation of Haulbowline Island and Cork County Council is acting as my agent to deliver the project. The Government has agreed to provide a total of €61m to complete all aspects of the Haulbowline Remediation Project. Total spending by my Department in the period 2012-15* amounted to €6.77m and funded (in full) the following key preparatory aspects of the remediation project:

- Regularisation of planning and licensing aspects

- Detailed site investigations

- Full remediation, including partial reconstruction of key infrastructural access points, Haulbowline Bridges & Bridge access road from mainland.

- Detailed quantitative risk assessment (DQRA)study of former factory site

- Establishment by Council of a dedicated Project Team & Project team salary reimbursements to Cork County Council

From 2016 Only

- Site preparation at East Tip, demolition, clearance etc

- Construction of perimeter site fencing

- Design of new roadway from bridge to East Tip

- Preparation of tender documentation, project design, scheduling of works

The main priority for the project team both in 2016 and 2017 is completion of the East Tip remediation works. Cork County Council expects to commence this resource intensive phase of the project before the end of this year and the contract for this work is currently subject to a tender process being conducted by Cork County Council. Following requests by participants in the Council’s tender process and due to the significant complexity involved in pricing the works involved, the Council has granted a six week extension to the tender period.  This has resulted in the tender submission deadline being revised to October 6^th2016.

While funding for this project is included in my Department’s estimate, funding is ring fenced for the remediation of Haulbowline Island, and is provided in addition to the funding requirements for my Department’s core activities. My Department will finalise a specific capital allocation for 2017 with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform in due course.