Harbours and Piers
Dail Éireann — 2026-03-19
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Timmy Dooley (FF), Clare

As the Deputy may be aware, our Department operates and maintains six designated State-owned fishery harbour centres, located at Castletownbere, Dingle, Dunmore East, Howth, Killybegs and Ros an Mhíl in her own constituency. Additionally, our Department 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, one of which is Cleggan in the Deputy's constituency, which may be what she has in mind here, as well as in relation to lights and beacons throughout Ireland, in accordance with the ex-congested district board piers, lights and beacons Act 1902.
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. Therefore, it is the responsibility of Galway County Council to progress any possible works in relation to piers in Connemara, of which Cleggan is somewhat an outlier, because our Department has some responsibility there in consultation with the local authority, which also has part ownership of the pier. However, our Department, as part of its annual fishery harbour and coastal infrastructure development programme, does provide limited discretionary funding to coastal local authorities for the implementation of small-scale projects focused on the development and repair of piers, harbours and slipways under their ownership.
Accordingly, on 16 February, I announced €4.3 million in funding under the local authority marine infrastructure scheme for 2026. Under this scheme, my Department will co-fund up to 75% of the eligible project costs, up to a maximum of €187,500 reimbursement where eligible, per project, with the local authority providing the balance.
The deadline for local authorities to submit project proposals for funding under this scheme was 9 March. I am pleased to inform the Deputy of the large volume of project proposals submitted to my Department within the timeline. In fact, applications were submitted by every coastal local authority, including Galway County Council. Any applications for funding for capital works at piers in Connemara that may have been submitted by Galway County Council under the 2026 scheme will be given due consideration, taking into account the available funding and the terms of the scheme.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-03-19/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:45+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-03-19