Delivery of Clew Bay marina 'vital' for Mayo tourism - senator

A Mayo Oireachtas member has said the progression of the marina project in Westport is vital as it would be a significant addition to Mayo’s tourism offering while also providing the foundation for the creation of employment.

Senator Lisa Chambers made the comments after meeting the Westport Marina Group with her party colleague, Minister for Finance Jack Chambers.

She said: “I was delighted to meet with the Westport Marina Group along with the minister. We discussed the upcoming Budget and the funding needed to help get the marina project through planning and shovel ready.

“Mayo has a large coastline, with fantastic opportunities to develop marine infrastructure. The Westport marina project presents an amazing opportunity, not just for Westport, but for Mayo and the wider western region to develop marine tourism and create employment.

“I am glad to confirm that the minister has committed to supporting the project as it progresses and will do everything he can to assist in its delivery."

Senator Chambers also called for the creation of a dedicated source of funding for the development of marine infrastructure, saying that there is currently a gap that is affecting the delivery of large marine projects.

She said: “The progression of the marina at Westport has highlighted wider problems with large marine infrastructure projects. The crux of the problem is that there is no core funding within the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine that can be applied to for the funding of large marine infrastructure projects.

“This is something that I believe needs to change.

“In the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, for example, there is core funding available for urban regeneration for large-scale projects in towns across the country. I am calling for the government to create a similar dedicated source of funding for large marine infrastructure projects.

“Such a source of funding must be included in the next programme for government.

“I welcome the commitment given by Minister Chambers during his visit to examine how such a dedicated source of funding could be created. Having this dedicated funding would assist us in developing our marine infrastructure right along our coastline and take advantage of the opportunities available to us.”