Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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678. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the level of investment in a project (details supplied) from commencement date of the project to 2011, inclusive, by year, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11372/17]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Greencastle Harbour is owned by Donegal County Council and responsibility for its development, repair and maintenance rests with that Local Authority in the first instance and its parent Department, the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government.

A project to construct a breakwater in Greencastle Harbour commenced in 2007 and was jointly funded by my Department (contributing 75% funding), Donegal County Council (contributing 12.5% funding), and the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs (contributing 12.5% funding).

From 2006 to 2011, funding of €6.675m was invested in this project by my Department through the Local Authority element of its Fishery Harbour and Coastal Infrastructure Development Programme, see the following table.

On the 10^thFebruary 2012 my Department officially handed back the Greencastle Harbour Project to Donegal County Council following completion of the works to safeguard the breakwater works undertaken.

My Department continues to provide limited funding for the development and repair of Local Authority owned piers, harbours and slipways around our coastline under the annual Fishery Harbour and Coastal Infrastructure Development Programme subject to available Exchequer funding and overall national priorities.

In recent years Local Authority projects under this programme are capped at a total project expenditure of €150,000 to ensure an appropriate geographic spread of funding for works across all the coastal Counties. The total funding available for Local Authority projects under the 2017 programme is €2.5m

I am happy to advise the Deputy that since 2011 a further €0.214m in funds has been made available for developments at Greencastle, and any application submitted by Donegal County Council in respect of Greencastle Harbour under future Local Authority capital programmes, will be given consideration in the context of the criteria set out, available Exchequer funding and overall national priorities.