Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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561. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the way in which he plans to honour the commitment in Project Ireland 2040 to develop the potential of Greencastle Harbour, County Donegal. [26715/19]

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 and their parent Department, it is the Council in conjunction with their parent Department who will decide if they wish 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.

While Donegal County Council submitted a project application for works at Greencastle under the 2019 programme, the proposal did not meet the criteria of the Local Authority scheme.

Should any application be submitted by Donegal County Council in relation to Greencastle Harbour under any future programme, it will be given due consideration, taking into account the terms and conditions of the scheme, the priority attached by the Council and available funds.