Conor McGuinness (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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315. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will initiate a full review of the funding, performance and regulatory oversight of the local authority marine infrastructure scheme; and if he will set out the issues identified by his Department with regard to project delivery and funding allocation under the scheme. [21910/25]

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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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 their parent Department, the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, thereafter.

My Department, as a sub-scheme of its annual Fishery Harbour and Coastal Infrastructure Development Programme, provides limited 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. The funding is for shovel-ready capital works only and not for the purpose of studies, surveys, planning and permitting processes, consultants and/or design fees, etc.

As scheme administrator, my Department is responsible for developing the Terms and Conditions which provide clarity for applicants and ensure the efficient operation of the scheme. The scheme is also subject to audit by the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General and the internal audit unit within the Department.

The scheme is reviewed each year within the context of available funding and national priorities. Accordingly, up to date Terms and Conditions are sent to local authorities with the invitation to apply for funding each year, and applicants are required to comply with these Terms and Conditions.

Applications are evaluated, taking into account the Terms and Conditions of the scheme, the priority attached to each project by the relevant local authority, available funding and the need to ensure a broad geographical spread of projects.

On March 13th last, Minister of State Timmy Dooley and I, announced an allocation of €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. The closing date for submission of applications was Friday April 4th last and my Department is currently assessing the large volume of applications submitted.

Where a project is approved for funding, it is a matter for each local authority to manage the delivery of any project(s) under their remit within the terms of the scheme. Each local authority is also responsible for compliance with regulatory requirements relevant to their project(s).