Press release
Fógraíonn McConalogue forbairt Cé Domhainmhara €25m ag Ros an Mhíl, Gaillimh
From Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Published on
Last updated on
From Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Published on
Last updated on
D’fhógair an tAire McConalogue inniu go dtógfar áis ché domhainmhara ag an Ionad Iascaigh Cuain atá faoi úinéireacht an Stáit ag Ros an Mhíl, Gaillimh. Cisteofar an tionscadal tríd an gClár Forbartha Caipitiúla Iascaigh Cuain agus Bonneagar Cósta.
Nuair a bhí an cinneadh á fhógairt aige go leanfar ar aghaidh leis an tionscadal, dúirt an tAire,
“Baineann ríthábhacht lenár nIonaid Iascaigh Cuain maidir leis an tionscal bia mara agus léiríonn Ros an Mhíl go soiléir conas a spreagann na háiseanna seo gníomhaíocht gheilleagrach do na pobail chósta tuaithe máguaird. Cuireann fógairt an lae inniu tiomantas an Rialtais seo in iúl arís eile do dhul i ngleic leis na tionchair a imríonn an Breatimeacht ar an earnáil agus do thodhchaí láidir do tháirgeoirí tosaigh bia mara na hÉireann.”
Bhain beagán faoi bhun de 90% den iasc go léir a tugadh i dtír isteach in Éirinn an tír amach ag na hIonaid Iascaigh Cuain. Ba bháid Éireannacha, den chuid ba mhó, a thug an t-iasc seo i dtír ag Ros an Mhíl agus bhí luach €7 milliún ar na gabhálacha. Cuirfidh an ché dhomhainmhara atá á fógairt inniu fad breise 200 méadar ar fáil ar thaobh na cé agus doimhneacht breis agus 70% ar fáil chun freastal ar bháid iascaireachta níos mó agus meallfaidh sé gabhálacha breise ó bháid iascaireachta Éireannacha agus eachtracha. Síneann an calafort faoi láthair ar feadh 325 méadar ar thaobh na cé ach tá sé teoranta ó thaobh uisce domhain (-5.8m, ar a mhéid, ó thaobh tagra cairte) agus bíonn sé thíos le brú sna séasúir ghnóthacha iascaireachta. Cuirfear achar breise 4 heicteár de thalamh ar fáil ina bhféadfaí leas a bhaint as mar limistéar leagtha anuas/forbartha leis an Ionad Cuain mar chuid de na hoibreacha. Beidh na háiseanna nua i Ros an Mhíl ar nós na n-áiseanna atá ar fáil sna Cealla Beaga agus i mBaile Chaisleáin Bhéarra.
Luaigh an tAire tiomantas na bpáirtithe leasmhara áitiúla don tionscadal:
“Nuair a thug mé cuairt i mí Dheireadh Fómhair na bliana seo caite, chuaigh na huaillmhianta a bhí ag an bpobal áitiúil anseo i dtaobh Ros an Mhíl go mór i gcion orm. Tá féidearthacht ollmhór ann d’fhorbairt agus do phoist amach anseo nuair a bheidh an tionscadal seo ar bun agus táim an-mhuiníneach go dtapófar agus go saothrófar an deis seo ar mhaithe le Conamara.”
Fuarthas cead pleanála don tionscadal in 2017. Leanfaidh an Roinn anois ar aghaidh le soláthar a fháil do dhearadh mionsonraithe na cé ag féachaint le tógáil a chur amach ar tairiscint níos déanaí sa bhliain. Meastar go gcosnóidh an tionscadal a mhéid le €25 milliún, gan CBL a áireamh, ach ní bheidh an costas cruinn ar eolas ach tar éis go gcuirfear obair mhionsonraithe dhearaidh i gcrích agus gur thit comórtas tairiscintí oscailte amach. Meastar go nglacfaidh sé a fhaide le 28 mí leis an obair thógála a chríochnú.
Nótaí d’Eagarthóirí
Tugann an Clár Forbartha Ionaid Iascaigh Cuain agus Bonneagar Cósta faoi Ghníomh 145 i gClár an Rialtais, “Infheistíocht straitéiseach a dhéanamh i mbonneagar calafoirt chun go mbeidh teacht i dtír níos mó ar éisc a ghabhtar ar bhealach inbhuanaithe inár n-uiscí, agus trí sin, dlús a chur leis an earnáil próiseála bia mara agus an geilleagar gorm a fhorbairt i bpobail cois cósta.” Cisteofar forbairt na cé domhainmhara i Ros an Mhíl faoin gClár seo.
CRÍOCH
Minster McConalogue today announced that a deep water quay facility is to be built at the State-owned Fishery Harbour Centre at Ros an Mhíl, Galway. The project will be funded through the Fishery Harbour and Coastal Infrastructure Development Programme.
Announcing the decision to proceed with the project, the Minister commented
“Our Fishery Harbour Centres are critical to the seafood industry and Ros an Mhíl is a clear example of how these facilities stimulate economic activity for the surrounding rural coastal communities. Today’s announcement is further evidence of this Government’s commitment to addressing the impacts of Brexit on the sector and to a strong future for Ireland’s seafood primary producers.”
In 2020 just under 90% of all fish landed into Ireland arrived at the Fishery Harbour Centres. At Ros an Mhíl these landings were primarily from Irish vessels and valued at €7m. The deep-water quay being announced today will provide an additional 200m of quayside and over 70% greater depth to accommodate larger fishing vessels and attract additional landings from both Irish and non-Irish fishing vessels. At present the Harbour has 325m of quayside but is limited in deep water to a maximum of -5.8m chart datum and experiences congestion in busy fishing seasons. An additional 4Ha of land with laydown/development potential will be added to the Harbour Centre as part of the works. The new facilities will bring Ros an Mhíl closer in line with those available in Killybegs and Castletownbere.
The Minister noted the commitment of local stakeholders to the project:
“When I visited last October I was impressed by the ambitions held here in the local community for Ros an Mhíl. There is huge potential for downstream development and jobs when this project comes on line and I have every confidence that this opportunity will be embraced and harnessed for the benefit of Connemara.”
Planning permission for the project was received in 2017. The Department will now proceed with procurement for detailed design of the quay with a view to tendering for construction later in the year. The project is anticipated to cost up to €25m excluding VAT, but the exact costing will only be clear when detailed design work is complete and an open tendering competition has taken place. It is expected that the construction work will take up to 28 months to complete.
Notes for Editors
The Fishery Harbour Centres and Coastal Infrastructure Development Programme delivers on Action 145 in the Programme for Government to “Invest strategically in harbour infrastructure to attract increased landings into Ireland of sustainably caught fish in our waters, driving the development of the seafood processing sector and the blue economy in coastal communities.” The development of the deep-water quay project in Ros an Mhíl will be funded under this Programme.
ENDS