Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 15 January 2026
482. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the level of capital funding allocated to and drawn down by harbours and piers in each county for each year 2020 to 2025, in tabular form. [3033/26]
View answerMy Department operates and maintains six designated State-owned Fishery Harbour Centres, located at Castletownbere, Dingle, Dunmore East, Howth, Killybegs and Ros An Mhíl under statute.
In addition, my Department also has responsibility for the upkeep and maintenance of North Harbour at Cape Clear, as well as the maintenance of a small number of specific piers, lights and beacons throughout Ireland, in accordance with the 1902 ex-congested Districts Board piers, lights and Beacons Act.
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.
However, my Department has, as part of its annual Fishery Harbour and Coastal Infrastructure Development Programme, provided limited funding to assist coastal local authorities in carrying out small scale capital projects for the development and repair of piers, harbours and slipways in their ownership.
This programme is operated on an annual basis and not on a multi-annual, aside from when my Department administered the Brexit Adjustment Local Authority Marine Infrastructure (BALAMI) Scheme 2022-2023, which provided unprecedented funding under the Brexit Adjustment Reserve.
One of the actions for my Department in the Programme for Government is to maintain support for the inshore fishing sector, aquaculture as well investing in our State Fishery Harbour Centres and public marine infrastructure and I am fully committed to this process.
The table attached illustrates the allocation and drawdown for each local authority in the Local Authority Marine Infrastructure Schemes between 2020 and 2025.
Expenditure provisions for future years will be determined through the National Budgetary process.
