Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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944. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to outline the details of the commitment to develop Greencastle Harbour, County Donegal as outlined in Project Ireland 2040; if this commitment involves the completion of the breakwater beside the harbour; when these development works will commence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24973/18]

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

My Department owns, operates and maintains six designated State-owned Fishery Harbour Centres, located at Castletownbere, Dingle, Dunmore East, Howth, Killybegs and Ros An Mhíl under statute. In addition, my Department also has responsibility for the upkeep and maintenance of North Harbour at Cape Clear, as well as the maintenance of a small number of specific piers, lights and beacons throughout Ireland, in accordance with the 1902 ex-congested Districts Board piers, lights and Beacons Act.

As indicated, my legislative remit does not extend to Greencastle Harbour, and given that the ownership of, and overall responsibility for Greencastle Harbour rests with the County Council, it is the Council who will decide if it wishes to carry out any further development, repair or maintenance of the Greencastle Harbour.

When Donegal County Council decides on the exact programme of works they wish to carry out and the costing and timescale for those works and notify their full intentions in this respect, the matter can be considered further in the context of Government priorities.

Independently, my Department provides limited funding to assist coastal Local Authorities in carrying out small scale projects for the development and repair of Local Authority owned piers, harbours and slipways under the annual Fishery Harbour and Coastal Infrastructure Development Programme, subject to available Exchequer funding and overall national priorities.

Donegal County Council successfully secured the maximum funding allocation allowable of €112,500 under the 2017 Programme for development works at Greencastle Harbour. An application for funding in respect of safety signage at Greencastle Harbour was made to my Department under the 2018 Programme and €9,000 has been approved for this purpose.

Any applications submitted by Donegal County Council in relation to Greencastle Harbour in the future will be given due consideration in the context of the criteria set out, available Exchequer funding and overall national priorities.