A TRANCHE of funding worth €460,000 for maintenance works on Cape Clear has been approved by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries, and the Marine.
The grants are part of €29.7m confirmed for capital projects by the Dept on Friday. The works include €2.855m for projects in Castletownbere, some of which were confirmed already, including the newly-opened Dinish Wharf, which Minister Charlie McConalogue officially opened earlier this month.
The works in Castletownbere will be 'phased as an multiannual project with further investment in subsequent years’, the Dept said.
The work on Cape Clear includes road improvement and watermains upgrades, disability access, safety, and maintenance. The grants at Castletownbere include funding for the small craft harbour and support facilities on Dinish, water metering and sewer installation, syncrolift fendering replacement, wall repairs, light replacement, work on the piles at the ferry slipway and upgrade and the removal of rock under the old oil tanks at Dinish Island and the decomissinoing of the old oil tanks.
Around 87% of all fish landings in Ireland go through six state-owned Fishery Harbour Centres at Killybegs, Ros an Mhíl, An Daingean, Castletownbere, Dunmore East, and Howth.
Minister McConalogue said: ‘The six Fishery Harbour Centres are crucial infrastructure for our seafood industry. Approximately 87% of all fish landings into Ireland come through these facilities making them strategic economic hubs for the Seafood industry.
‘The continuous development of the infrastructure in these Harbours is critical to the fishing fleet and the landbased seafood processing industry. My focus remains on delivering strong sustainable livelihoods for our fishers and food producers who are the bedrock of the sector.’
