Killybegs Harbour funding
Deputy Pringle questioned the repeated and changing funding announcements for Killybegs Harbour Centre and asked what had actually been allocated. The Taoiseach said he did not know the precise figure but would ask the Minister to reply directly.
Over the weekend, the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy McConalogue, announced funding for Killybegs Harbour Centre. On the face of it, this is very welcome funding and is very badly needed. He announced €8.75 million in funding for that centre. However, in July last year, he announced €9.2 million - inflation saved a little there - and the year before that he announced €10.5 million. In 2019, an announcement of €5 million was made and in 2017 funding of €6.2 million was announced. What is the actual amount that has been allocated to Killybegs in 2022? I assume it is probably approximately €1 million or something like that, but it is a cumulative amount that is added on all the time. If that is the amount that is added, it raises further questions as to why the pier extension in Killybegs has already cost €40 million. What is the story on this?
Comment on this
I honestly do not know, but I think the Deputy and I are both very much in favour of investment in Killybegs. It is an important harbour. It has a lot to offer, not just in respect of fisheries-----