Just one expression of interest in new business park in Kilmore Quay as ‘bureaucrats in Europe choke’ the fishing industry
Wexford PeopleAmbitious plans to develop a new business park in Kilmore Quay have effectively stalled due to restrictions being placed on the fishing industry by “bureaucrats in Europe”.
In 2017 Wexford County Council (WCC) purchased an 11-acre site in the coastal village with a view to developing a business park focusing on the fishing and marine industries. However, despite a €1.25m investment in a new link road - which was designed to take heavy goods vehicles out of the village - there has been no movement on the business park.
At the monthly meeting of the Rosslare Municipal District (RMD), Councillor Frank Staples requested an update on the status of the business park and was informed by acting district manager, Edwina Colfer, that there had been no interest in the site yet.
Recalling a “big fanfare” when the project was first announced, Cllr Ger Carthy said that, in the intervening years, the only thing done in Kilmore was “a new road with grass growing up through the footpaths on either side”.
“The business park needs investment and we need jobs in there,” he continued. “There was to be a freezer factory and a storage facility, can we put this to the private sector and see can we get some traction there?”
However, Cllr Jim Codd said that, given the parlous state of the fishing industry, there wouldn’t be enough stock available for any potential clients to freeze.
“There’s only been one expression of interest in the business park from what I understand,” he said. “A lot of that has to do with the decline of the fishing industry. There’s no point talking about a freezing facility when the fishing industry is dying
“The bureaucrats in Europe are choking Kilmore Quay, that’s why there’s no interest in the business park.”
Separately, Cllr Carthy expressed his frustration regarding another project in Kilmore Quay which had disappeared off the agenda.
“I’ve a pain in my face asking about the coastguard station that’s to be built down there,” he said. “The coastguard is a statutory emergency service that supports the RNLI and the other agencies, and they’re working out of a kip. You wouldn’t put horses in there”.
In 2018 the then Mayor of Wexford, Jim Moore, said talks were “ongoing” with WCC and the Office of Public Works (OPW) in relation to finding a location for a new coastguard station. Since then, according to Cllr Carthy, there had been little to no movement on the project.
“Can someone enquire about this?” he asked. “It’s going on for the best part of ten years.”