More than €11 million in funding has been confirmed for Killybegs Fishery Harbour Centre.
Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine with special responsibility for Fisheries, Timmy Dooley, made the announcement today as part of a €27.75m national package.
The money will go towards capital projects in Ireland’s publicly owned harbours through the 2025 Fishery Harbour Centre and Coastal Infrastructure Development Programme.
The investment will modernise and enhance the six state-owned Fishery Harbour Centres and includes funding for local authorities through a marine infrastructure sub-scheme. The Fishery Harbour Centres are located at Killybegs, Ros an Mhíl, An Daingean, Castletownbere, Dunmore East and Howth.
The €11.2 million Killybegs funding is broken down as follows:
Emphasising the importance of the investment, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon, TD, said: “The projects in the 2025 Fishery Harbour Centre and Coastal Infrastructure Development Programme, will enhance the essential economic contributions of Ireland’s fishing sector and play a significant role in sustaining the vibrancy of these coastal communities. This is great news for these important communities, and I am delighted to show that we are delivering on the Programme for Government 2025 action to maintain support for the fishing sector, aquaculture as well as investing in our State Fishery Harbour Centres and public marine infrastructure.”
Approximately 87% of all fish landed into Ireland each year arrives at the Fishery Harbour Centres. In 2023, Bord Iascaigh Mhara valued the GDP of the Irish seafood industry at €1.2 billion. The investment in public marine infrastructure also underpins the emphasis in Food Vision 2030 on supporting primary and secondary producers in continuing to make improvements in environmental, economic and social sustainability.
The projects in the 2025 Fishery Harbour Centre and Coastal Infrastructure Development Programme, will enhance the essential economic contributions of Ireland’s fishing sector and play a significant role in sustaining the vibrancy of these coastal communities.
Additional projects planned this year also demonstrate the Department’s commitment to supporting the Government’s environmental and sustainability agenda at the Fishery Harbour Centres. For example, projects such as water metering, renewable energy upgrades, and installation of LED public lighting are funded on an ongoing basis.
The Programme also provides for maintenance works at North Harbour Cape Clear and a small number of piers, lights and beacons for which the Department has responsibility. These structures date back to the 1902 Marine Works Act and the Congested District Board.
Minister Dooley continued: “The Fishery Harbour Centres also serve a variety of marine commercial enterprises, encompassing commercial cargo operations, cruise ships, dining establishments, and various water-based leisure, tourism, and social pursuits. The 2025 programme is critical to ensuring funding for a diverse suite of projects and continues this Government’s commitment to rural development, building on the success of previous programmes.”
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