Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent)
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19. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will consider an enhanced capital programme to support the upgrading of local authority harbours that have significant fishing and aquaculture activity and which require more than €150,000; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21139/17]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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In regard to Marine Infrastructure, my legislative remit extends to the six Fishery Harbour Centres located at Castletownbere, Dingle, Dunmore East, Howth, Killybegs and Ros An Mhíl.  In addition I have responsibility for North Harbour at Cape Clear Island and for maintaining a small number of piers, lights and beacons around the coast in accordance with the 1902 ex-congested District Board Piers, Lights and Beacons Act.

Individual Local Authorities and their parent Department, the Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government, have ultimate responsibility for investment in the development, repair and maintenance of harbours under their ownership.

Under my Department’s annual Fishery Harbour and Coastal Infrastructure Development Programme, limited funding is provided to assist coastal Local Authorities in carrying out small scale projects for the development and repair of piers, harbours and slipways owned by them, subject to available Exchequer funding and overall national priorities.

Between 2011 and 2016, in excess of €22.5m has been granted to Local Authorities for work undertaken on 437 projects under the Local Authority element of my Departments capital programme. In addition, I have allocated €2.8m this year to assist 13 Coastal Local Authorities to undertake and complete 51 development and repair projects on harbours and slipways owned by them.

The Local Authority programme sets a maximum project cost at €150k of which my Department will contribute up to 75% on eligible expenditure. This cap is to ensure that there is a broad geographic spread of projects approved and that the economic benefits are distributed across as many local rural communities as possible.

On the 3rd February 2017, a request was issued to all coastal Local Authorities to submit prioritised lists of projects for consideration under the Fishery Harbour and Coastal Infrastructure Capital Programme 2017. This resulted in 174 projects being submitted by coastal Local Authorities at a total project cost of €11.9m which equated to a funding demand at 75% project cost of €8.9m.  This level of oversubscription indicates that there is no shortage of small scale Local Authority projects for which this programme is tailored.

I am satisfied that the project limits placed with regard to my Department’s programme are appropriate, and reiterate that ultimate responsibility for developments on Local Authority owned harbours is a matter for the Councils themselves and their parent Department.