Written answers

Tuesday, 26 June 2018

Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Fishery Harbour Centres

Photo of Tony McLoughlinTony McLoughlin (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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437. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the OPW will intervene and enable remedial works to be completed at Inishmurray Island, County Sligo in order to allow the MSO to allow small passenger boats to bring persons to and from the island again; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27680/18]

Photo of Michael CreedMichael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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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.

My legislative remit does not extend to Inishmurray Island.  

The pier on Inishmurray Island is the responsibility of Sligo 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, Community and Local Government thereafter.

My Department does however provide 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.

Sligo County Council successfully secured a funding allocation of €147,000 under the 2018 Programme for development works; however no application for funding was made to my Department in relation to Inishmurray Island.

Any application submitted by Sligo County Council in relation to Inishmurray Island in the future would be given due consideration in the context of the criteria set out, available Exchequer funding and overall national priorities.

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