Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 1 May 2025
316. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to detail all applications made by Waterford City and County Council under the local authority marine infrastructure scheme over the past ten years, indicating the year of application, project title, funding sought, outcome (approved or not approved), and the amount granted were successful, in tabular form. [21911/25]
View answerMy Department, under 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 shovel-ready projects for the development and repair of piers, harbours and slipways in their ownership. 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.
Between 2016 and 2021, Waterford City & County Council received funding of €1.88 million for various projects completed during that period.
This Department also administered the Brexit Adjustment Local Authority Marine Infrastructure (BALAMI) Scheme 2022-2023, which saw local authorities undertake capital projects in piers, harbour and slipways in their ownership.
Between 2022 and 2023, Waterford City & County Council was reimbursed €3.11 million for 10 projects completed under this Scheme.
In 2024, funding was only allocated to those local authority marine infrastructure projects which were previously allocated funding under the BALAMI Scheme but encountered delivery challenges including in relation to consenting, procurement, supply chain and weather delays to works. The BALAMI projects undertaken by Waterford City & County Council did not encounter such challenges.
On March 13th last, Minister of State Dooley and I announced an allocation of €4.3 million funding for maintenance and repair works of coastal local authority infrastructure under the Fishery Harbour and Coastal Infrastructure Development Programme 2025. The closing date for submission of applications was Friday April 4th. Waterford City & County Council did not submit any applications for consideration for this year’s scheme.
The attached table (Waterford CCoCo Marine Infrastructure 2016-2025.pdf) contains details of applications submitted by Waterford City & County Council since 2016, alongside the evaluation outcome, the funding allocated each year and the reimbursement claimed by the Council. My Department reimburses eligible project costs (pro-rata) on a matured liability basis following inspection of the capital works and verification of the evidenced expenditure.
