Mairéad Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein)
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262. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if accessibility for those with limited mobility was assessed when developing the planning application Passenger Embarkation Area, Rossaveel Fishery Harbour Centre, Rossaveel, County Galway; if he will provide detail on any research or guidelines that were taken into consideration in that regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [66540/25]

Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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In March this year I announced details of €27.75 million allocated for capital projects in Ireland’s publicly owned harbours through the 2025 Fishery Harbour Centre and Coastal Infrastructure Development Programme. Of this, I allocated €23.4 million investment to modernise and enhance the six state-owned Fishery Harbour Centres (FHCs) located at Castletownbere, Dingle, Dunmore East, Howth, Killybegs and Ros An Mhíl which are owned, operated, developed and maintained by my Department under statute.

My Department submitted a planning application with Galway County Council on 31st October 2025 (Ref No 2561595) in connection with upgrading the current passenger shelter facility, at the ferry pontoon terminal at Ros an Mhíl Fishery Harbour Centre. The current bus-shelter type structure is particularly in need of upgrade given its structural condition and exposed location.

The upgrade will provide adequate shelter and safer movement of passengers within the embarkation area, ensuring a smooth and safe flow of passenger traffic, harbour users and the general public realm area and will be a welcome enhancement to the harbour. The project scope includes the removal of the existing shelters and construction of new shelters, along with associated works such as paving, lighting, signage, seating etc.

In preparing the planning application, the design team ensured that the proposed works were developed in accordance with the relevant standards and guidance and that the needs of all users were taken into consideration. In particular, safety features will be included to accommodate and improve accessibility for users with reduced mobility.

The architect-designed project will also be further developed, at a detailed design stage, to ensure that the facility is delivered following best practice and universal design principles. An accessibility audit will be carried out prior to tendering of the construction works. The planning application can be viewed online (www.eplanning.ie/GalwayCC/AppFileRefDetails/2561595/0).