Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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242. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he is aware of the state of disrepair of Purteen Harbour, which a group (details supplied) has been established to advocate for; if he will meet with representatives of the group; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38489/24]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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Purteen Harbour is the responsibility of Mayo County Council. The responsibility for the development and maintenance of local authority owned piers, harbours and slipways rests with each local authority in the first instance. The primary governance role for local authorities rests with the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage and any wider funding issues for local authorities should be addressed to that Minister.

In January 2022, I launched the Brexit Adjustment Local Authority Marine Infrastructure (BALAMI) Scheme 2022-2023 exclusively for the rejuvenation of local authority owned public piers and harbours. Mayo County Council was allocated funding for 8 projects, all of which were delivered with support of €979,000 from the scheme. The projects put forward were identified and prioritised by the local authorities themselves. Mayo County Council did not put forward a project for Purteen Harbour.

Prior to the Brexit-focused scheme, my Department provided funding to carry 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. In 2021, Mayo County County received funding of €26,000 for remediation works on the slipway and safety improvement works at Purteen Harbour. Mayo County Council received €109,000 over the period 2010-2020 in respect of repair and development works in 2012 at Purteen Harbour.

Any future supports that may be made available to support local authority capital investment in piers and harbours will be made in consideration of available Exchequer funding and overall national priorities.