A total of €6 million has been granted to the Galway County Council to cover the outstanding costs from the development and upgrade of Cill Rónáin Pier on Inis Mór and Caladh Mór on Inis Meain in the Aran Islands.
There were significant cost overruns on both Caladh Mór - completed in 2008 - and Cill Rónáin - completed in 2010. The outstanding debt has been the subject of correspondence between the Department of Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs and Galway County Council for a number of years.
However funding to meet these costs has now been secured by Fine Gael Galway West TD and Minister of State for Gaeltacht Affairs and Natural Resources Seán Kyne. It is in addition to the €900,000 paid over the last three years.
"This is being offered to the council as a final settlement of this difficult issue," said Dep Kyne. "My department and Galway County Council have had a strong relationship throughout the years. I am confident this proposed settlement will ensure we can continue to have the same strong relationship in the years ahead, particularly as we advance work on the new Inis Oírr Pier development project."
