Greencastle Harbour €16 million breakwater investment ‘in vain’ without dredging

A local councillor has warned that the €16 million invested in constructing a new breakwater at Greencastle Harbour may have been wasted if Donegal County Council does not dredge the harbour and tackle the build-up of silt that has made berths unusable outside of high water.

Cllr Terry Crossan raised the issue during a council meeting in Lifford on Monday, tabling a motion that called for immediate action to ensure council-controlled harbours are kept free of silt accumulation and accessible at all stages of the tide.
Cllr Crossan said the lack of dredging has made it “nearly impossible for larger vessels to access the harbour” except for a short period on either side of high water. High tides are essential to allow vessels to safely enter and leave the harbour with adequate clearance beneath their keels.

Read more: Fishermen worried about plan to slash mackerel quota

The Quigley’s Point-based public representative said fishermen have reported extra costs, including overtime for co-op workers, when high tides occur overnight and vessels have no other time in which to safely land their catch. Others have warned that seawater cooling systems on some boats can be damaged when they draw in sediment from the harbour floor at low tides.
Sinn Féin colleague Cllr Albert Doherty supported the motion, saying the Greencastle Harbour Users Group had expressed dismay at ongoing delays. He acknowledged the bureaucratic hurdles faced by the council, with multiple consents required under maritime legislation, from the Department of Agriculture or the Maritime Area Regulatory Authority.
In a written reply, Bryan Cannon, the council’s director of roads and transportation, outlined the complexity of securing consents, which are time-limited, must be renewed regularly and face strict environmental testing and seasonal restrictions.
He said the council has set aside an annual dredging budget of €250,000 for piers and harbours across the county.
He confirmed that a specialist consultant has been appointed to prepare dredging applications for Greencastle, Buncrana and Portmore Pier at Malin Head, and work is ongoing.
Mr Cannon added that council officials meet harbour users regularly and are aware of their ambitions, stressing that the council wanted to ensure the €16 million breakwater investment was maximised as a key facility.
In response, Cllr Crossan acknowledged the “huge investment” but warned: “If the harbour is going to be continuously silted up, it’s almost as though that money was invested in vain.”
Concluding, he called on the council to make “urgent efforts” to resolve the problems affecting Greencastle Harbour.