Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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297. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will give detailed consideration to a recent briefing note of the Northern & Western Regional Assembly: Regional Infrastructure Priorities for the Northern and Western Region, June 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35165/25]

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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I wish to recognise the work of the Northern & Western Regional Assembly in drafting the Regional Infrastructure Priorities for the Northern and Western Region and I welcome this Report.

My Department owns, operates and maintains six designated State-owned Fishery Harbour Centres (FHCs), under statute, two of which are located in the Northern and Western Region, namely Ros An Mhíl and Killybegs. Between 2010 and 2024, my Department invested over €110.4 million in these harbours under the annual Fishery Harbour and Coastal Infrastructure Development Programme (FH&CIDP). Minister Dooley and I have allocated a further €14.4 million for these harbours under the 2025 Programme.

It should be noted that the responsibility for the maintenance and development of local authority owned piers, harbours and slipways rests with each local authority in the first instance. The overall governance role for local authorities rests with the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage.

However, my Department has provided funding to assist coastal local authorities in carrying out projects for the development and repair of piers, harbours and slipways in their ownership. Between the years 2010 and 2024, my Department reimbursed total funding of over €44 million to local authorities in the Northern and Western region under both the Local Authority sub-scheme of the FH&CIDP and Brexit Adjustment Local Authority Marine Infrastructure (BALAMI) Scheme 2022-2023.

The focus of the funding is to support actual capital works and it is a matter for each local authority to manage and deliver the projects. Minister Dooley and I have allocated a further €1.4 million to four Local Authorities in the region for 2025 in counties Donegal, Sligo, Mayo and Galway.

I am mindful that the primary role and function of the FH&CIDP remains to support the seafood industry and the provision of any other services, facilities or future developments at non-fishery harbour centre commercial ports are a matter for the port operators concerned in conjunction with the Department of Transport.