Sinn Féin Councillor Conor D. McGuinness has said that the new political interest being shown in dredging Cé Heilbhic is welcome however the solution to the impasse remains the same. He said that Fianna Fáil Minister Charlie McConalogue and his Fine Gael and Green Party junior ministers must amend their regulations in order to allow for dredging works at the fisheries harbour to go ahead. McGuinness has been championing this issue for several years. Not only has the failure by recent governments to dredge Heilbhic hampered fishing boats in the area but it has also impacted the lifeboat service operating out of the harbour.
McGuinness said:
“The new found political interest in Cé Heilbhic might owe more to impending local and European elections than it does to a genuine concern about the harbour and its users, however all support is welcome as pressure grows on the three ministers in the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
“Maintenance works on council owned ports and harbours like Cé Heilbhic are funded by the Department, however Minister McConalogue has refused to give Waterford City and County Council the money needed to undertake the preparatory work required before dredging can take place. This preparatory work, including surveying work, is required by Government and is estimated to cost more than the actual dredging.
“McConalogue says the terms of the scheme don’t allow preparatory works to be funded but fails to acknowledge that he as minister has full power to amend the scheme any way he sees fit.
“The situation is even more infuriating when you consider that the EU has given Ireland an additional €31 million to spend on local authority ports and harbours. The preparatory work is expected to cost in the region of €150,000 meaning that the Minister is allowing lives and livelihoods to be put at risk out of an unwillingness to provide less than 0.5% of the lump some provided by the EU specifically for fisheries harbours
“It seems the Department prefers to see money spent on facilitating visiting pleasure craft than ensuring that fisheries harbours remain safely accessible.
“Its a cause of deep frustration and anger that this issue has still not been addressed. Its not from want of raising it – the fact is this Government, like its predecessors, has a huge blind spot when it comes to the Irish fishing industry and coastal communities. If the Government parties refuse to change tack, their failure to dredge Cé Heilbhic will be another nail in the coffin of Irish sea fisheries.”
Conor D. McGuinness TD 