Sinn Féin Finance Spokesperson Deputy Pearse Doherty has welcomed a funding request from Donegal County Council to the Department for the construction of a sea wall at Machaire Rabhartaigh and has called now on the Minister to grant approval for the much needed project without delay.
Deputy Doherty said: “I am pleased that an application for funding to construct a breakwater has recently been submitted to the Department by Donegal County Council for Machaire Rabhartaigh and Sinn Féin fully supports this request.
“I have been in regular contact with both the Department and the Minister’s office in recent weeks regarding this application and to pledge my support for this project to go ahead. It is now crucial that the Minister acts on this request and provides the necessary follow-up to ensure that this project is delivered.
“As communities in the area will know, a sea wall has been greatly needed for some time now along the shore at Machaire Rabhartaigh given the huge problem which sand deposition and erosion along its coast has created for the area.
“There has been a hugely negative impact on both fishing and tourism due to the pier at Machaire Rabhartaigh not being adequately protected with the necessary sea defences and this has also hindered access to and from Tory Island which is nearby.
“Huge sums of money have been spent by the local authority on costly dredging works at the pier to address the problem over the last number of years, an issue which I have been consistently highlighting with the Minister over the course of last Dáil term.
“The application for a sea wall is of course to be welcomed and I have today (Tuesday) contacted the Minister’s office regarding the application and I have been informed that the proposals are currently with the Department’s engineering services team for consideration.
“Naturally, I have also written to the Minister to pledge my support for the Council’s funding request for this project and I intend to continue to lobby strongly for its construction without delay.
“I have also been keeping in regular contact with the local community in Machaire Rabhartaigh who are understandably very anxious to have this much needed project completed to ensure the future viability of this important coastal community.”
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