2026-07-07

In 2019, RPS was commissioned to develop a feasibility study on developing Dunmore East Harbour. As the Minister of State knows, Dunmore East Harbour is in the east of County Waterford. It is a fishing port. It is also a home to a lot of leisure activity that is very busy, by the way, during the summer months. There are fantastic facilities for children and adults. It also takes in cruise liners, although that can be difficult because of the lack of facilities. There was one cruise ship that was unfortunately turned away from Dunmore East a number of weeks ago because of bad weather and the fact that the harbour finds it very difficult to be able to take cruise ships under certain circumstances. A big cruise ship came in at the weekend. I was there myself. I met with the harbourmaster and saw how difficult it was for the harbour in very tightly controlled circumstances where the space just does not exist to try to manage almost 2,000 passengers coming off and all the logistics that comes with that, while at the same time trying to cope with all the fishing boats. There are emergency crews and a lifeboat is anchored there as well. Then you have all the leisure activity. There was, as I said, a feasibility study carried out in 2019. That feasibility study looked at how we can improve the harbour in Dunmore East and ensure that the fishing vessels, fishermen, leisure activities, aquasports and all of that going on at the harbour, plus facilitating cruise ships, can all coexist and work in a pragmatic way that benefits the local village and community but also the local economy. It came up with a number of options and variations. The option that it proposed at the time would have cost about €12.5 million. I would imagine that it would cost more now. The difficulty is that nothing has happened and that feasibility study has essentially sat on a shelf. We now have a situation where we have a very busy port. The harbour master and those who work in the port are trying their best to facilitate the fishermen and all the other activities and to take in cruise ships, which is becoming more and more difficult. We as legislators and policy-makers in the Dáil and in the Government have to decide what it is we want from the harbour in Dunmore East. I spoke to people coming off that ship. There were about 2,500 people on it. They were travelling all over the place. They were travelling to Kilkenny - the Minister of State's own constituency - Carlow, Wexford, Cork in some instances, down to Midleton to visit the brewery and, of course, Waterford city. These were thousands of people spending money and adding to the local economy. However, it is going to become much more difficult for that harbour to take more vessels and, at times, it cannot take vessels because of the limitations of the port. There are already issues for fishermen at the port. You can see the boats that are lined up three abreast because the berthing facilities simply are not there. That feasibility study looked at more berthing facilities, an additional breakwater or an extension of the existing breakwater and more facilities at the harbour to allow all of those different activities to coexist. What is the Government's plan for the port and the harbour? Is it serious about developing Dunmore East Harbour? Is it serious about wanting that harbour to be able to cope with more cruise liners coming, with all the benefits that will have for tourism, plus supporting the fishermen and all the other activities that happen there? If the Government is serious about that, it needs to come up with a plan and look at one of the options that were outlined in that report. There were about ten different options, if you look at the options and variations. It is not difficult to look at what is best for the harbour, talk to the harbourmaster and local communities and come up with the capital funding. It simply has not happened up to now. My question is this: why, after that report was done in 2019, is there still no movement on developing that harbour?

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. I am taking this on behalf of the Minister of State, Deputy Dooley. The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine owns, operates and maintains six designated State-owned fishery harbour centres. The Department also has responsibility for the North Harbour at Cape Clear Island, as well as the maintenance of a small number of specific piers, lights and beacons throughout Ireland. Investing in our marine infrastructure is particularly important to the resilience of our seafood industry. The Department, subject to project feasibility and resources, administers the annual fishery harbour and coastal infrastructure development programme consistent with the objectives of the national development plan. The strategic objective of the programme is to contribute to the future viability of the fishing industry and the sustainability of our coastal communities. Between January 2015 and December 2025, the Department invested almost €335 million in the State’s publicly owned marine infrastructure through a mix of national Exchequer and Brexit adjustment reserve funding. Dunmore East Harbour received over €21.5 million during that period. On 16 February 2026, the Minister, Deputy Heydon, and the Minister of State, Deputy Dooley, announced an allocation of €27 million for capital projects in Ireland's publicly owned harbours through the 2026 fishery harbour and coastal infrastructure development programme. Dunmore East has been allocated nearly €2 million for projects including cliff protection works, which have recently been granted planning permission, and preparation for a new harbour breakwater. These are likely to be multiannual projects. The Department’s engineers prioritise projects that will bring infrastructure for which the Department has responsibility up to best international standards. Some projects may be scheduled over several phases to take account of the availability of annual funding, competing national priorities and the capacity of the division to manage multiple large projects simultaneously. In 2016, the Department commissioned consulting engineers RPS to design a small craft harbour at Dunmore East. Following public consultation, the project's scope expanded to incorporate leisure, fishing and cruise vessel facilities. A comprehensive technical feasibility study was finalised in 2019, as the Deputy said, to evaluate various harbour layouts. While a preferred development option is under consideration, progressing the project depends on securing regulatory consents, annual national funding and complying with the Department of public expenditure's infrastructure guidelines. Dunmore East is one of Ireland’s principal fishing ports. The main basin of the harbour has three quays for the fishing fleet. The harbour features an adventure centre, a coastguard unit and a Shannon-class Royal National Lifeboat Institution, RNLI, lifeboat station. Waterford Harbour Sailing Club runs a busy spring-summer schedule, using an open-access slipway. In summer, Dunmore East acts as a Port of Waterford cruise ship tender port, with an average of ten calls each year. As recently as Sunday last, 5 July, a cruise ship visited the area carrying 2,700 passengers. The Department is evaluating the responses to a tender for a consultant to prepare a seven- to ten-year business plan to enable each of the fishery harbour centres to work to clear, strategic objectives. The business consultant will look at each of the harbours, consider the characteristics and produce individual plans. It is expected that there will be town-hall-type consultations in each harbour with all relevant stakeholders to consider their needs. There will be town hall meetings in this regard.

In the Minister of State’s response, she acknowledged that in 2016, the Department commissioned a feasibility study. It finished its work and reported back in 2019. We are now in 2026. That is seven years later and no progress has been made. Since 2019, that plan has sat on a shelf. The Minister of State said the Department has seven-to-ten-year plans for all fishery harbours. Dunmore East Harbour does not need a seven- or ten-year plan. The feasibility study has already been commissioned and reported back. It has already provided options. The Minister of State acknowledged all the activity I spoke about, including the leisure activity, how busy it is during the summer, the cruise ships, including the most recent ship that arrived, the fishermen activity and much more that goes on at the harbour. That is acknowledged, recognised and accepted. We have a feasibility plan that made options. The only thing that did not happen was the Government making any decision as to what to do. When I raise the issue seven years later, I am told that we can look at a seven- to ten-year plan for the port and maybe have town hall meetings. A town hall meeting might work if there is good news, but we are not starting from scratch here. That is the point. The Minister of State with responsibility for this area has to have a good look at this. It is time now for the two local Ministers of State, Deputies Cummins and Butler, to start fighting for capital investment for Waterford and the south east. This also benefits the Minister of State’s constituency. As I said, I spoke to many people coming off that cruise ship. They were travelling to Carlow, Tipperary and the Rock of Cashel. Others were going to Wexford, the John F. Kennedy Arboretum and Cork. Of course, some were going to Waterford city and parts of County Waterford. We all benefit from it. The south east operates as a tourist entity in its own right with all of its offerings. All I am saying is that we do not need seven or ten more years of examinations and procrastination. We need a decision taken based on the feasibility study that was carried out. Put the investment in and allow the port to flourish, which is in the best interests of me, the Minister of State and the constituents we represent.

I was in Waterford recently. There is a lot of work being done in Waterford. I understand what is happening. Dunmore East is an important part of the infrastructure that supports the Irish and EU fishing fleets, and it facilitates an increased level of leisure and tourism activity. There are ongoing improvement projects that have increased the operating efficiency of the harbour. Work has been done in that regard. I understand what the Deputy is asking but the Department is working and doing this. With a total of €21.5 million having been invested since 2015 and nearly €2 million having been allocated this year alone, the Department continues to promote the development of Dunmore East Harbour. The future of the harbour will be guided by a seven- to ten-year strategic business plan, shaped directly by stakeholders’ feedback. There is a big plan in this regard. As I said, a lot of money has been invested. The Department remains dedicated to securing the necessary regulatory approvals and the national funding to guarantee sustained, long-term infrastructure growth. I will absolutely bring the Deputy’s concerns back to the Minister. As the Deputy said, tourism is vital. I was in Waterford and I noticed how well it looks. I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue.