Kerry County Council has granted planning permission for a new, small-craft harbour in Dingle.
The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine had applied for permission to build the approximately 125-berth harbour south of the west breakwater at Dingle harbour.
The planning application received seven submissions from locals, all highly critical of the proposed development.
The proposed development involves dredging an area of about 2.7 hectares of seabed, consisting of around 90,000 metre-cubed of clay-type material and 5,000 metre-cubed of gravel-type material.
The Department also plans to install anchoring piles, floating breakwaters, small craft-type pontoons, walkways and fingers, as well as trolley bays, toilet, facilities, and power and water kiosks.
The overall above-water area of the proposed harbour is around 26,400 square-metres.
The planning application received seven submissions which all raised issues with the development.
These included claims this represented overdevelopment, which would damage local amenities for residents of Dingle who use the existing marina.
One retired lieutenant commander in the Irish Navy, also a former harbour master in Dingle, also submitted that the location was most unsuitable, with little protection from continuous strong winds from the west.
Submissions also raised environmental concerns, and claims that there was a lack of public consultation in the area by the Department.
Kerry County Council has granted planning permission for the development subject to four conditions.
