Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine is being accused of "botching" the applications process for the Fishery Harbour & Coastal Infrastructure Development Programme 2015.

Fianna Fáil TD for Galway West, Éamon Ó Cuív, has criticised Minister Simon Coveney and said a series of delays in the applications process will put extra pressure on local authorities to have the works carried out by the end of the year.

Deputy Ó Cuív commented: "Despite holding the Budget last October, Minister Coveney only announced the details of the Fishery Harbour & Coastal Infrastructure Development Programme in March leaving less than a month for local authorities to apply to the scheme.

-- Advertisement --

"This is a completely ridiculous situation whereby councils had to rush through applications and are still waiting for a decision on them at the end of May.

"Another of the major difficulties with the scheme is the fact that the projects can only go to tender after they have been approved. As no approvals have issued this means that it will be autumn time before works commence.

"This means work, which should be carried out in the summer, when the weather is more suitable and the days are longer, will be pushed out until later in the year. The problem is further exacerbated by a clause which states that unless the work is completed by the end of the year the local authority will lose the money which had been granted for the project.

"Minister Coveney's handling of this scheme has been ludicrous and further highlights his inability to understand the practicalities of running these programmes, the volume of work involved in the applications process and the timelines involved."

(CD/JP)