Cian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context

260. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to provide an update on the Howth Harbour dredging project; the timeline for the commencement of dredging works; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [66539/25]

Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The need to dredge Howth FHC to ensure its long-term viability as a commercial fishing port, leisure harbour and tourism destination is widely accepted by the industry and the community and has been long recognised as an urgent issue by my Department.

Unfortunately, the project experienced significant delays in obtaining the relevant planning and consents. Planning permission was granted by Fingal County Council in August 2022. A third party subsequently made an appeal to An Coimisiún Pleanála (ACP formerly An Board Pleanála ABP). Progress on this project was delayed by 20 months until a decision which was made in favour of the Department in August 2024.

My Department submitted an application for a waste licence to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in December 2023 in anticipation of the ACP decision. Ideally the EPA assessment would have commenced immediately. However, the application was not scheduled on either the 2024 or 2025 application lists.

I am now pleased to inform the Deputy that I was recently informed by the EPA that they are now treating the application as a matter of urgency and importance, and the project will be a priority application on their 2026 scheduled application list. Following their decision, the potential timeline for the construction phase of the project is for construction over three budgetary years, subject to funding availability, and national priorities, with actual construction time being 24-34 months