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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
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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. |
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