By Diarmaid Doherty
THERE are growing fears that the county’s tourism industry will be severely hit by plans to carry out essential works at a number of popular tourist sites during the busy summer season.
Locals in Portsalon have already expressed anger at the news that Portsalon Pier is to close on July 1 for two months to allow for planned repairs to the pier.
Funding is also in place for major works at the piers in Rathmullan, Bunbeg and Burtonport and there are concerns that those works will also need to be carried out during the summer season before the funding runs out at the beginning of November.
Over €25m in funding was announced for a host of projects in Donegal by Minister Charlie McConalogue last December. It was a second tranche of funding for Marine Infrastructure works all around Ireland’s coast under the Brexit Adjustment scheme.
Deputy Joe McHugh said the funding was good news for the county, but the fact that the money must be spent before November 3 is a real cause for concern.
Last night, he was due to submit a parliamentary question urging An Tánaiste Michéal Martin to consider extending the deadline for the scheme.
“It just doesn’t make sense, and as it stands, there is no way all this money is going to be drawn down,” Deputy McHugh told the Donegal News.
“It’s a major issue, and I can fully understand why local businesses involved in the tourism industry might be concerned.
“Portsalon is the perfect example. If the pier is closed for the summer months, the impact that will have on local businesses, holiday-makers and local families will be massive.”
One visitor who has booked a holiday in Portsalon in July contacted the Donegal News this week to say she is dismayed and utterly bewildered at the decision to commence with the works at this time.
Aine Jacob from Dublin, whose mother is from Fanad, has been holidaying in the area with her family for many years. She said she has booked a house in Portsalon for next month.
“The six to eight weeks from July 1 is the holiday season,” she said.
“A major attraction, in fact the main attraction for children and teenagers, is the pier. Holiday-makers and day-trippers alike make the pilgrimage to Portsalon at high tide for the jump. To make this inaccessible for these weeks is beggars belief.”
She said Donegal County Council has shown a total indifference to visitors who choose to spend their time and money in Donegal.
“The businesses that use the pier together with the pub and restaurant must be devastated by this decision as it will surely have a serious impact on their trade,” Aine added.
A meeting of interested parties, including local business owners and council officials, was held on the pier on Monday night at which details of the planned works were outlined. Just over €1.4m has been allocated for Portsalon.
There is anger at the timing of the proposed works, with people insisting that the project should have been left to a quieter time later in the year.
Hugh Hunter, who runs Eco Atlantic Adventures, said it doesn’t make sense to close the pier at what’s the busiest time of the year for so many local businesses.
“The pier in Portsalon is central to almost everything that happens here,” he said.
“The businesses depend on tourism, and that means families coming to the area and to the pier itself where the children can enjoy pier jumping and swimming.
“The knock-on effect is that they’ll stop off in the shop for an ice-cream and families can go for a drink or a meal.
“But if the pier is going to be closed during the summer months, will these families bother coming at all?”
Hugh said the decision to close the pier this summer is all the more frustrating given that local businesses are still only bouncing back after two years of Covid.
“The timing couldn’t be any worse,” he said.
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