Killybegs Harbour handed €11.2 million funding boost

Killybegs Harbour has been handed a major funding boost.

A pot of €11.2m million has been allocated to Killybegs Harbour through the 2025 Fishery Harbour Centre and Coastal Infrastructure Development Programme.

Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine with special responsibility for Fisheries, Timmy Dooley, TD, announced a total of €27.75m for capital projects in Ireland’s publicly owned harbours.

In Killybegs, €7 million has been allocated to phase 3 of the smooth point project while €2.5 million of the funding will go towards a passenger embarkation pontoon.

The smooth point pier extension has been handed €300,000 while €400,000 has been allocated towards the small craft harbour service building and €300,000 will go towards underwater quay wall repairs.

€150,000 of the money will be used for energy saving measures with a further €400,000 for safety and maintenance, €25,000 for upgrading alarm systems and €60,000 to syncrolift dredging works.

€20,000 has been set aside for disability access.

Approximately 87% of all fish landed into Ireland each year arrives at the Fishery Harbour Centres, including the one at Killybegs. 

In 2023, Bord Iascaigh Mhara valued the GDP of the Irish seafood industry at €1.2 billion. The investment in public marine infrastructure also underpins the emphasis in Food Vision 2030 on supporting primary and secondary producers in continuing to make improvements in environmental, economic and social sustainability.

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon, TD, said: “The projects in the 2025 Fishery Harbour Centre and Coastal Infrastructure Development Programme, will enhance the essential economic contributions of Ireland’s fishing sector and play a significant role in sustaining the vibrancy of these coastal communities. 

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“This is great news for these important communities, and I am delighted to show that we are delivering on the Programme for Government 2025 action to maintain support for the fishing sector, aquaculture as well investing in our State Fishery Harbour Centres and public marine infrastructure.”