Marine Minister Charlie McConalogue today (Thursday 2 March) officially named the new €10m ‘Fishing Pier’ at Howth Fishery Harbour Centre, one of the six State-owned Fishery Harbour Centres.

The works comprised the construction of 134 metres of new quay wall, dredging, stabilisation and infill of subsea material which covers a greatly enlarged area of 6,500 sqm.

The additional berthing space created relieves vessel congestion issues and enables greater segregation between the activities of fishing vessels and the marine tourism and leisure activities which are mainly concentrated on the West Pier.

Works on the site commenced in October 2020 and were completed in April 2022 at a cost of €10 million.

Howth's new fishing pier - The works comprised the construction of 134 metres of new quay wall, dredging, stabilisation and infill of subsea material which covers a greatly enlarged area

This major redevelopment project was funded through the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine’s Fishery Harbour and Coastal Infrastructure Development Programme.

Officially opening ‘The Fishing Pier’, the minister said: “It is an integral part of my department’s overall strategy to provide dedicated, stand-alone fit for purpose facilities for the fishing industry in Howth.

“The newly redeveloped ‘Fishing Pier’ facilitated the moving of vessels from the West Pier onto this redeveloped pier. I must also acknowledge our main contractor, John Sisk, and consulting engineer Malachy Walsh and Partners who overcame COVID-19 restrictions and supply chain delays to deliver a first-class structure.”

Bird’s eye view of the new Fishing Pier at Howth

In 2021, almost 90% of all fish landed into Ireland was into the six State-owned Fishery Harbour Centres. At Howth, these landings were valued at c.€12.9 million.

Minister McConalogue noted: “The six Fishery Harbour Centres are critical infrastructure for our seafood industry. By attracting increased fish landings, we will deliver the raw materials to drive and maximise the opportunities for primary and secondary processing and ensure a strong Irish seafood processing industry. The importance of these primary and secondary food production activities is reflected in the Government’s Food Vision 2030 policy“.

The new pier adds extensive and much-needed quay space of 6,500m2 in a seasonally very busy harbour

HOWTH DREDGING PLANS

The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine says it has plans for further significant investment with a dredging and reclamation project for Howth Fishery Harbour Centre and planning permission for this project is currently under consideration by An Bord Pleanála.

After unveiling the plaque, Minister McConalogue said: “In addition to the fisheries and seafood production industries, the Fishery Harbour Centres are accommodating an ever-increasing amount of diverse marine commercial business, including commercial cargo traffic, cruise liners, restaurants and other leisure, tourism, and social activities.

“All of these activities complement the critical economic activity generated by our fishing industry and help to maintain the vitality of these coastal communities.”

The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine has launched a public consultation on developing a policy for passenger vessel licensing at Howth Fishery Harbour Centre.

The number of licences issued by the department has remained unchanged for many years. Some existing licence holders have expressed an interest in acquiring additional licences, while other vessel owners have shown an interest in operating from the harbour.

There is a facility for vessel owners to apply to operate a passenger service from a Fishery Harbour Centre (FHC) but there is no policy to guide how to manage the current licences, or how to award additional licences, the department explains.

A review has been undertaken by harbour management on the capacity of the passenger pontoon at Howth FHC and the nature of potential additional activity it could accommodate. The review indicates that there is scope for a small increase in the number of passenger vessel licences that are currently in place.

The next step in the process towards developing a policy is to hold a public consultation with interested parties and members of the public. Views are sought from stakeholders on the following areas:

• Renewal of existing licences
• Issue additional licences
• Timeslots & Scheduling
• Changes to Vessel Sizes
• Change of Ownership
• Operation of Single-Entry Vessels

The public consultation is open now Friday 16 September. All relevant and necessary documents can be found on Gov.ie.

The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine invites tenders for a 35-year lease of 6 West Pier in Howth Fishery Harbour Centre.

The lease for the site is offered for a term of 35 years with five-yearly rent reviews. The tender documentation is available from the Harbour Office and can also be viewed or downloaded from Gov.ie.

Applicants should contact the Harbour Office, Howth Fishery Harbour Centre by phone on 01 832 2252 between 9am and 5pm on workdays to view the tender documentation or to make an appointment to view the site.

The closing date for receipt of tenders is noon on Thursday 29 September.

The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine is inviting suitably qualified contractors to submit a tender package to re-construct a boat shed destroyed by storm action in 2018 at Howth Fishery Harbour Centre.

This tender also includes roof repairs and waterproofing works on the adjacent department buildings located on the East Pier. Tenders are to be submitted in one lot via eTenders.

The main structure is a single-storey infill build between two existing buildings The tender calls for construction work in reinforced concrete to rebuild the existing combination masonry/concrete/timber-roof structure.

Subject to available funding, this tender award is expected in August with works required to commence no later than September.

The RFT can be viewed on the eTenders website under reference RFT 216175.

The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine invites suitably qualified contractors to submit a tender package to construct up to two reinforced concrete boatyard repair bays within the existing DAFM Boatyard located on the West Pier of Howth Fishery Harbour Centre.

The repair bays will be around 500 sqm each, with works to include surfacing, installation of draining pipework, gullies and manholes (of a depth not greater than 2m) and more.

The successful contractor will also be expected to excavate and dispose of existing life-expired asphalt surfacing off-site at a licensed facility.

This tender award is expected in late May or early June with works to commence in June or July, and is awarded subject to available funding.

The RFT is in one lot and can be viewed on the eTenders website under reference 210774. The deadline for responses to this tender is noon on Wednesday 4 May.