Cian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats)
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796. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans for the dredging of Howth harbour; if it remains his intention to lodge a planning application for the Howth dredging project in 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28514/20]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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Howth Fishery Harbour Centre (FHC) is one of the six designated Fishery Harbour Centres which are owned, managed and maintained by my Department under Statute.

Siltation in Howth Harbour has been recognised as an issue for some time, and the requirement for a dredging project to restore adequate depth in the entrance channel and within the harbour is accepted. The Harbour was last dredged in the early 1980’s. A number of investigative and preparatory works and initiatives have been undertaken over the last few years in respect of a potential dredging project in Howth FHC.

A final site investigation report was received in October 2016 and has been assessed by my Department's Engineers. This report included vital information on the nature and amount of the material to be dredged. The Department also appointed Consulting Engineers in 2016 to advise on a number of possible developments in Howth, including a dredging project. A final report was issued from the Consulting Engineers in late October 2017 which confirmed that the concentrations of contaminants in the sediment to be dredged are such that while the material cannot be considered inert, it can be classified as non-hazardous. This means that dumping at sea will not be permitted, which in turn has a significant effect on the project cost.

Department Engineers subsequently met with Fingal County Council, to review possible operational and permitting requirements. Engagement with the Council is ongoing in regard to exploring disposal options for the dredged material. It is my Department’s view that an option to re-use the dredged material to the west of the West Pier as part of the methodology for the project is the most effective and efficient option.

It is estimated that circa 225,000 cubic metres of silt will need to be removed from the harbour in the event that a full harbour dredge is undertaken and, for illustration purposes, this is equated to an estimated 20,000-30,000 possible truck movements. It is also the position that if the option to re-use the material is not possible, the potential costs of the project increase significantly and the overall scope of the project would have to be re-examined.

The project itself will require Planning Permission, an Environmental Impact Statement and a Waste License which are being progressed. The permitting process is likely to take up to 24 months. A variety of factors will impact on the cost of a potential dredging project, including the disposal options, overall scale of the project, and market factors.

The Department went to tender on the 3rd of October 2018 for a Consulting Engineering practice to bring the project through the planning, environmental permitting and design phase, and should a decision be made to progress the project, this consultant will also be responsible for the supervision of onsite works. The successful tender was commissioned for these works on the 19th of December 2018.

Site investigation works are being undertaken, as are technical and environmental impact assessments; however the COVID19 pandemic has had a significant effect on the ability to complete the research and investigation works. These works are required as part of an overall planning application submission.

Overall our Capital Programme in 2020 has been affected by both the COVID19 pandemic and other contractual issues and I am now taking time to assess the implications of these issues going forward before making further commitments.

As is the case with all developments in the six Fishery Harbour Centres, any future decision with regard to initiating a full dredging project in Howth FHC will only be considered on the basis of available exchequer funding and competing national priorities.