Harbours and Piers
Dail Éireann — 2026-07-02
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Frankie Feighan (FG), Sligo-Leitrim

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. The Department owns, operates and maintains six designated State-owned fishery harbour centres, located at Castletownbere, Dingle, Dunmore East, Howth, Killybegs and Ros An Mhíl, under statute. It also has responsibility for Cape Clear, Cleggan and some piers, lights and beacons. Fishery harbour centres are established under the Fishery Harbour Centres Act 1968 as centres in which to promote, develop and carry out sea fishing, including the production and sale of fish and fish products and related activities.
Responsibility for the fishery harbour centres transferred to my Department in October 2007 from the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources. Each fishery harbour centre owns land and properties within its respective boundary. Such properties, which are vested in this Department under the 1968 Act, are to be used for such purposes connected with the improvement and development of the fish industry and the provision, improvement and development of services ancillary to, or connected with, the fish industry. Therefore, the harbours contain a diverse property portfolio reflecting their role as working fishery harbours and the locations for a broad range of other marine activities.
There are currently 265 properties in total, excluding pier infrastructure, across six fishery harbour centres, 83 of which are located in Howth Fishery harbour centre. Almost 30% of all properties are used by the Department in the operation of the harbours, providing facilities for net mending, pier service areas, storage for fishing gear and weighbridges, for instance. The remaining properties are occupied by a variety of public and private sector tenants under formal lease agreement and are vital economically and socially to the remote and coastal communities that the fishery harbour centres serves. Some of the properties operate as commercial premises, such as fish processing facilities, restaurants or clubs and, for example yachting, rowing, and scout halls. Other properties reflect more functional aspects of the harbour such as car parking, marina and boat houses.
The Department works closely with the Office of the Chief State Solicitor to progress the often complex and protracted legal aspects relating to property leases. A solicitor is employed by the office at the Department’s request to deal solely with the harbours’ property portfolio, the cost of which is met from the Department’s fishery harbour centre fund. While it is Department policy to not discuss individual leases publicly or with parties other than those immediately involved, I assure the Deputy that the Department and its legal advisers are actively working through the details and the drafting of the lease terms for the tenant concerned.
Due to the complexity of the multiple leases and the level of detail involved, the Department is carefully considering each aspect to ensure the terms are properly reviewed, accurately reflected and reflective of the current advice of the Chief State Solicitor's office. The Department is committed to giving the time necessary to ensure all terms are thoroughly reviewed and correctly addressed. I am informed that the consolidation is progressing steadily, with strong engagement with all stakeholders involved in the process.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-07-02/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-27T06:52:14+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-07-02