Minister to be briefed on Docks transformation plans

Date Published: 28-Apr-2011

By Dara Bradley

Management at Galway Harbour will brief the new Transport Minister on its plans for a major overhaul of Galway’s Docks, when he visits the city in a fortnight, the Galway City Tribune has learned.

Galway Harbour Company is seeking State support to part-finance the €50 million phase one of the redevelopment of the Docks and will use Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Leo Varadkar’s visit to the city in early May to convince him and his officials of the merits of the project.

Minister Varadkar has confirmed he will be in Galway on Friday, May 13 to officially launch National Bike Week and he has agreed to meet with backers of the Docks revamp project.

It is understood Minister Varadkar will also meet with management at Galway Airport during his visit to Galway to discuss issues surrounding the future funding and State-support of the Carnmore facility.

The Minister already expressed a keen interest in the Galway Docks redevelopment project when he met with Galway West Fine Gael deputies, Brian Walsh and Seán Kyne, at a meeting in Leinster House held earlier this week.

“The Minister has agreed to meet with Galway Harbour Company to go through the plans for the new harbour,” said Deputy Walsh.

“He hasn’t committed funding for the project yet, but he is very keen to see the plans and to explore the possibilities the project presents for Galway City and the wider western region as a whole.

“It will give the Harbour Company an opportunity to show the Minister its vision and to explain to him the benefits that would accrue if phase one was completed, not just in building jobs during the construction stage but in terms of attracting bigger cruise liners to the city that would provide a huge boost to tourism in Galway and the west.”

For more on this story, see the Galway City Tribune.