Robert O'Donoghue (Dublin Fingal West, Labour)
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143. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will address the ongoing funding deficiencies in State marine infrastructure, particularly in counties like Donegal, which has 155 piers and harbours to maintain (details supplied); to outline plans to increase investment in marine infrastructure to support both local economies and tourism development; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13825/25]

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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My Department operates and maintains six designated State-owned Fishery Harbour Centres, located at Castletownbere, Dingle, Dunmore East, Howth, Killybegs and Ros An Mhíl, under statute.

The responsibility for the development and maintenance of local authority-owned piers, harbours and slipways rests with each local authority in the first instance, and with their parent Department, the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, thereafter.

However, my Department has, as part of its annual Fishery Harbour and Coastal Infrastructure Development Programme, provided some funding to assist coastal local authorities in carrying out small scale projects for the development and repair of piers, harbours and slipways in their ownership.

On March 13th last, my colleague Minister of State Timmy Dooley, announced an allocation of €27.75 million to my Department’s 2025 Fishery Harbour and Coastal Infrastructure Development Programme. The announcement includes €4.3 million funding for coastal local authorities to support the repair, maintenance and development of fishery and aquaculture linked marine infrastructures under their ownership. This is the largest funding allocation to the local authority marine infrastructure scheme in recent years outside of the one-off Brexit Adjustment Reserve funding administered under the Brexit Adjustment Local Authority Marine Infrastructure Scheme 2022-2023 (BALAMI). Over the period January 2022 to December 2024, local authorities benefited to a total of €50.05m (BAR and Exchequer funding), with 161 projects completed across 13 coastal local authorities.

I am fully committed to our Programme for Government commitment to invest in our State Fishery Harbour Centres and public marine infrastructure. In respect of the funding provided for local authority-owned marine infrastructure under our 2025 Fishery Harbour and Coastal Infrastructure Development Programme, my Department will co-fund up to 75% of eligible project costs, with the local authority providing the balance. I strongly encourage local authorities to submit applications before the April 4th closing date.