DREDGING GRANT A SIGNIFICANT BOOST FOR DUNDALK PORT
APPROVAL ANNOUNCED BY MINISTER FAHEY FOR £500,000 TO DO ESSENTIAL WORK IN HARBOUR
The announcement of a £500,000 dredging grant for Dundalk port is warmly welcomed as a major vote of confidence in the future of the harbour.
Announcing approval for the funding, Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources, Frank Fahey says he is ‘conscious of the unique position of Dundalk port as it gears up for corporatisation as a fully-fledged State port company in its own right this year and the urgent need to address its dredging/siltation problem’.
He decides to make available a grant of £500,000 to co-finance the immediate investment requirements of the port and to secure its future customer base, trade and service providers in the run up to corporatisation as a State port company with equal status to Drogheda and Galway in the Border Midlands West (BMW) region.
Minister Fahey recalls visiting the port late last year when a case for funding is made by members of the harbour board and local port users.
In approving the dredging grant, Minister Fahey says it does not prevent Dundalk Harbour Authority from submitting an application for funding under the National Development Plan to address long-term investment requirements in general or if the cost exceeds £1 million as currently projected.
He says he is aware that the Harbour Authority is anxious to proceed with this essential work to secure the port’s future and it is for this reason that he has allocated the funding from within his Department’s budget in advance of the National Development Plan.
The minister notes that a KPMG Regional Ports Study recognises ‘ that for many decades Dundalk port has played an important role giving employment into the area and that this can be greatly increased’ by further specified investment, including the work now proposed.
Minister Dermot Ahern says the grant will allow the port to maximise its potential and ensure not only that it will keep its existing customers but will also allow them to gain new business.
The Blackrock man comments that he is particularly pleased with the minister’s positive comments about Dundalk port and its future.
‘For years, the port has suffered in that it was regarded to be not as strategically important as others on the east coast. Under the National Development Plan it has the potential to develop to its true capacity.’
This, he points out, would require corresponding support from the private sector who have stated they will respond accordingly if the State shows that the port forms part of its future planning.
Harbour Board chairman Cllr Pearse O’Hanrahan enthuses it’s a great day for the port and for Dundalk.
He especially welcomes the fact that Minister Fahey’s announcement leaves it open for the Harbour Authority to make an application for further funding under the National Development Plan.
The £500,000 grant and backing for the port would, he feels, give private investors the opportunity to come on board.
‘It is also a vote of confidence and a public acknowledgement that we are to become a State port and that corporatisation will take place in the coming months,’ Cllr O’Hanrahan adds.
Dundalk Urban District Council pays an estimated £3 million for 28 houses in the private Castleross housing estate on the Castleblayney Road.
Housing officer Jim Byrne explains the council is originally going to buy 27 houses but a private sale falls through and they get approval for another one.
Cllr Jim Ryan argues they could build houses themselves for around £50,000, and if they wait until the new Planning Act comes in the local authority will be able to get sites for the price of agricultural land which will enable them to build houses for a total of £65,000 or £70,000.
‘Why should we buy houses for £85,000?’
County Manager John Quinlivan replies that section of the Act is not coming in force until September.
They had gotten sanction for the purchase and he would do it again tomorrow.
‘We have a few hundred people on the housing list and we are not building fast enough,’ Mr Quinlivan says.
He adds there are now people with homes who wouldn’t have them only for the council buying these houses.
‘It might seem strange but it is Government policy.’
OPEL has announced preliminary details of the new electric Combo-e Life.
Highly versatile and practical, with a huge amount of interior space, the Combo-e Life comes with either one or two sliding side doors and is available as a 4.4-metre-long standard or 4.75 m XL version, both with either five or seven seats.
The new Combo-e Life can drive up to 280km (WLTP) on a single charge of its 50 kWh lithium-ion battery. The new Combo-e, the latest electrified model in the Opel range, will reach Irish showrooms in the autumn.
THE Combo-e Life is perfect for families, looking for a practical transport solution with green credentials. The new electric car from the brand with the Blitz even features a towing capacity of 750kg, class-leading in this market segment, with the option of trailer stability control.
Thanks to 100 kW (136 hp) and 260 Nm of torque from the electric propulsion system, the Combo-e Life is perfect also for the open road. A sophisticated regenerative braking system with two user-selectable settings further increases efficiency.
The battery with 216 cells and 18 modules is packaged under the floor between the front and rear axles, so that it does not compromise usage of the passenger compartment. In this location, the battery lowers the centre of gravity as well, which benefits wind stability and cornering, for
additional driving fun.
The Combo-e Life is ready for a variety of charging options. Out on the open road, using a 100kW DC public charging station, charging up to 80% takes only around 30 minutes. At home, the MyOpel app will ensure owners can pre-heat or cool down their vehicle and fully control charging times, from their smart phones.
Opel offers the Combo-e Life in two lengths (4.40 m and 4.75 m as the XL model variant) with five or seven seats, which also makes it an attractive car for taxi firms. Owners of both variants can choose between the standard second row bench with 60/40 split or three individual seats, which can be folded conveniently. In both cases, each seating position has its own Isofix child seat bracket as standard, allowing for three child seats to be fitted next to each other.
The shorter five-seater offers at least 597 litres of boot space (850 litres in the longer version). With the rear seats folded down, the luggage volume more than triples to 2,126 litres, while the longer one can carry up to 2,693 litres.
The front passenger seat can fold flush with the rear seats, extending the length of the loading area, so that even surfboards can be transported.
Along with its petrol and diesel engine siblings that were crowned, Best Buy Car Europe 2019 by AUTOBEST, the zero-emission Combo-e Life also makes no compromises on safety, comfort or convenience.
The comprehensive portfolio of class-leading technologies and driver assistance systems extends from hill descent control, a panoramic rear view camera, lane keep assist and driver drowsiness alert, to traffic sign recognition and forward collision alert with pedestrian protection and automatic emergency braking.
Owners needing extra traction on mud, sand or snow can upgrade the Combo-e Life with the IntelliGrip electronic traction control system.
When everyone is sitting comfortably, they can enjoy the Combo-e Life’s infotainment. The Multimedia Radio and Multimedia Navi Pro systems come with a large 8.0-inch touchscreen and top connectivity. Both feature phone integration via Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Opel will offer an electrified version of every passenger car and LCV model by 2024.