Danny Healy-Rae urges funding for Kenmare harbour upgrade

Teashek, I respectfully am calling here today for a new vision for Camere Harbour. What we need is a practical, modest development, a new pier, a safe slipway, a few berths for boards, proper facilities for the rowing club and a car park with camper vans to cater for tourists, toilet and showering facilities. This will create local jobs. It will support tourism and keep the people coming into the town all year round. It would boost the economy for the whole area, shops, cafes, bed and breakfast, small businesses, the hotels. Most of all, it would give the people who come here something they could be proud of or something they can use and enjoy. I say this loud and clear. If we can fund marine infrastructure in other coastal towns, which is unrightly so, then we can and must do the same for Camere. The people there are every bit as entitled to support and investment as anyone else. I will continue to fight two to nail to see this project move forward because this isn't about vanity or prestige, it's about fairness. Common sense and doing right by a town that has been far too patient for far too long. I'm asking the government, this government, to put this on the National Development Plan and to provide funding. Khmer's existing pier situated on the picturesque Khmer River is primarily normally used for small-scale fishing and limited tourism activities. The pier faces several challenges including insufficient capacity, limited water depth, the pier needs to be and needs to be dredged, and a lack of modern facilities. These limitations restrict its use for larger vessels and hamper the growth of marine-based recreation and tourism. Khmer has lagged behind other towns, Minister, like Bantry, Castletown Bear, Dingle, all the harbour towns around it, but Khmer has stood still, and I'm asking for fairness in this regard. It's a tourism-driven opportunity. Khmer has already well-established tourist destinations resound for its scenic beauty, outdoor activities, vibrant arts and food culture. Its location on the Ring of Kerry and proximity to the Wild Atlantic Way make it a natural stop for visitors exploring the region, enhancing the harbour with new piers and small marina, and supporting infrastructure could significantly strengthen Khmer's tourism appeal. Parking for camper vans is most important because the area is very restricted as it is, and generally car parking is very tight there. It would increase a growing segment in the travel market dedicated to tourism. Thank you, Deputy. Taoiseach, please. First of all, I thank you very much, Deputy, for raising this issue. I always marvel at the scenic beauty of Kerry. I was down there on Monday at FASA, no, at FASA, or at the economic summit. And I had a very good few days in Kenmare early last summer as I prepared for the general election, and it sort of sorted me out fairly well. And, of course, we're all inspired by that beautiful ballad, as I leave behind Nadine, written by a cork man, Jimmy McCarty, and made famous by Mary Black. Sorry? Don't go for it. No, but you're right, Deputy, in highlighting the strengths and the assets of Kenmare, and I know you've been very clear in terms of the need for Kenmare Peer and the funding of Kenmare Peer. Now, the local authorities have primary responsibility for the maintenance and development of local authority-owned piers, harbours and slipways. And, as you know, as part of the annual Fishery, Harbour and Coastal Infrastructural Development Programme, the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine provides the funding to assist coastal local authorities in carrying out small-scale projects for the development and repair of piers, harbours and slipways under ownership. Now, in March of this year, Minister of State Dooley and Minister Hayden announced about 4.3 million funding for the 2025 local authority marine infrastructure scheme. The closing date for submission was 4 April, and the Department understands that Kerry County Council, is my understanding anyway, did not submit any application for funding for Kenmare Peer to be considered in this year's scheme. And on May 21st, the Minister of State for Fisheries and the Marine to be duly announced the allocation of funding of 4.33 million for 57 local authority projects across 11 coastal local authorities. All five Kerry County Council projects submitted under the scheme were approved. Nearly 94,000 then was allocated for Kenmare Bay to upgrade eight navigation aids and six mooring anchoring points for visiting boats. And in addition, nearly 85,000 euros was allocated to the Kilmecalogue for the installation of a peer-lifting crane to help load and unload equipment and catch. If a peer is a protected structure, the Department of Housing's Built Heritage Investment Scheme and Historic Structures Fund can provide support for repair and conservation of historic elements. Now, these schemes are closed for 2025. I will talk to the Minister to see if anything additional can be done, or can we make sure that in future applications, working with the Kerry County Council, that we can get the work that is done, because you have a strong rowing club in Kenmare, I am very familiar with that, and it is a huge tourist town, and people love it, and so I appreciate you raising the issue. Before I go on to Kenmare again, I want to remind the Taoiseach and the Ministers that small peers locally, Kilmecalogue, Koolnegielagh and Blackwater Peer, have been crying out for maintenance funding for safety projects and other things for the last number of years. But I go back to Kenmare, and I thank you very much. The thing is, the local authority must work in conjunction with the Department of the Marine and the OPW. The local authority has a lot of land acquired at the back of the pier, which is, and this needs to be explored, and we all need to work together. I am disappointed that we don't have, that Kerry Council didn't have any application in for this year. One would have thought that they would. But I am asking that we progress this, and to be fair, to Kenmare Town, because they have a wonderful hostelry unit there, and indeed provide excellent food and all that goes with it, and treat people very good, and indeed catered for over 4,000 cyclists last Sunday, last Saturday, the Bearer cycleway, and were well able to do so. But this, Kenmare needs a bit more for the off time. Please answer the question. Deputy, please resume your session. Thank you very much, Don Corley, and I am sorry for going over. Deputy, I certainly will talk to the Minister for the Marine, I will talk to Kerry County Council authorities as well, and see what we can do to put something together for the funding. The funding might have to come next year, I don't know, but even if the planning was done, and to just get an assessment of what is required. You are absolutely correct, it is a beautiful town. I like the way you said that the great food and everything else that goes with it. I can confirm that, there is no question about that. And I think if we can do anything to, which we are doing across the country, and in Kerry as well, investing in local infrastructure to improve tourism. I mean, you said 4,000 cyclists, I think, and the bareest cyclists, and it is extraordinary numbers of people on a wonderful project. So, yes, we will work with you on that. Thank you, Taoiseach. Thank you, Deputy. No, Deputy, resume your seat. Deputy, resume. Deputy, you do what you like. Thank you.