Development of Ireland's marine industry is being hampered by a lack of facilities.
That is what Brian O'Sullivan, chairman of the Irish Marine Federation, said last week at the Dublin Boat Show. He said that general economic growth in Ireland had pushed boat ownership upwards and the industry was valued at about €630m.
But in major harbours like Dublin and Cork it was very difficult for new owners to find slip or mooring spaces. O'Sullivan added that the lack of launch facilities, moorings and marinas, with some developments blocked by planning objections, was preventing increased public access to the water - something that needed to be resolved. The theme of this year's boat show was to get more people started in boating.
Ireland's Minister for Tourism John O'Donoghue noted that charters and visiting yachtsmen amount to a significant share of the national tourism market. He accepted that more facilities were needed to support further development, but said that EU regulations prevent direct state investment.
Meanwhile in Wales urban regeneration company Newport Unlimited has secured Ł75,000 in funding from the Welsh Assembly to investigate the possibility of developing a marina at Crindau, Newport.
Newport Unlimited has appointed Hyder Consulting to conduct the feasibility study, which is expected to be complete by the end of March.
The grant comes from the Welsh Assembly's Catching the Wave action plan, launched in 2004 to stimulate coastal economies in Wales.
Catching the Wave aims to increase annual revenue from water sports and leisure by 40 per cent by 2010, taking the total contribution to the Welsh economy to Ł224 million.
Andrew Davies, Welsh Assembly Minister for Enterprise, said Newport had worked hard to regenerate areas of former industrial decline and to put in place the civic and commercial infrastructure that befits its city status. “Newport also needs to develop a range of social amenities, and this grant will enable the potential for a marina at Crindau to be investigated," he said.
The marina would serve sailing interests in the Severn Estuary and the Bristol Channel as well as providing a link with the inland waterway system, Crindau being placed on the River Usk, leading to the Bristol Channel, Caerleon and into the Monmouth and Brecon Canal.
