Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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143. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to invest in Greencastle Harbour, County Donegal in line with the commitments referenced in Project Ireland 2040. [8780/19]

Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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144. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when the breakwater works at Greencastle Harbour, County Donegal will be completed (details supplied). [8779/19]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 143 and 144 together.

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 Greencastle Harbour.

When Donegal County Council decide 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.

My Department does 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, subject to available Exchequer funding and overall national priorities.

Donegal County Council successfully secured funding of €9,000 under the 2018 Programme for development works at Greencastle Harbour. On the 28th of January 2019 Local Authorities were invited to submit prioritised lists of projects for consideration under this years programme. The closing date for receipt of these applications was the 8th February 2019. These are now being assessed and detailed applications will shortly be requested from Local Authorities for short-listing and the finalized suite of projects will be prepared.