Drop Down Menu
  Search...
 

 

Green light for vital Buncrana breakwater  22.08.08

Keaveney slates life-threatening delays

ONSTRUCTION of a breakwater at Buncrana Pier to safeguard the passage of the RNLI in emergencies is expected to get underway shortly, it's been revealed.
Donegal Senator Cecilia Keaveney has been told by the Fisheries Department that it is now ready to issue a draft foreshore lease to sanction the works.
The vital work has been delayed for several years and has resulted in the threatened withdrawal of the RNLI's main boat from the pier as the local crew could not get out of the harbour in low tide due to a
The RNLI currently have difficulty getting in and out of Buncrana Pier at low tide.
a build-up of sand and silt.
"It is over 18 months since I had the County Manager Michael McLoone meet Minister Noel Dempsey on this matter," said Senator Keaveney.
"Clarifications were sought and got at that time. It has been totally unacceptable that monies have had to be allocated on a number of occasions now for this important safety project for our marine emergency services and yet no work has taken place."
The Moville-based Seanad representative said she refused to be "fobbed off" on the issue and, alongside town and county councillors colleagues in Fianna Fáil continued to challenge the "buck passing that has gone on".
She said Fisheries Minister Tony Kileen undertook to pursue the matter on her behalf when he took up his new portfolio a few months ago.
"I'm delighted to say that the Minister has been in touch with me to say that the long awaited lease is now ready and this should enable work to commence.
"This has been a very poor reflection of how to progress a project. While it is welcome that we are nearing work commencing, there must be lessons learned.
"In the context of the current economic climate not spending monies allocated and having serious delays on necessary projects is not the way to achieve outcomes." She called for "greater fluency" between departments and the Council rather than the "seeming inaction" that had characterised the Buncrana breakwater and other projects down through the years.
"I know that this news will be very much awaited by all those in the RNLI locally, nationally and indeed internationally as the story of Buncrana and its team of hard working volunteers has reached well beyond the Swilly.
"I trust that the delays in the lease will be made up for in the speedy move to work beginning on site and look forward to this important piece of infrastructure becoming a reality in the near future," she added.
Return to > News