Cailín Óir Ferry Service welcomes the recent news that planning permission has conditionally been granted for the proposed remedial works in North Harbour to replace the Bull’s Nose Breakwater and provide for a new slip and other works. All resident Islanders and indeed a great many visitors to and friends of the Island are only too well aware of the dangerous condition of the Bulls Nose and the possibility of its imminent collapse due to undermining by tidal action. This would at the least severely restrict access to the Island and could cause a myriad of other problems. It is to be hoped that the Department of Marine will spare no effort in mobilising the required resources for this most urgent project and we count on the support of Minister Simon Coveney, who knows the area personally to make the necessary emergency funds available. All of those who took part in the consultation process and indeed anyone who has lived on Cape Clear Island in recent years cannot fail to be aware that the planning process in this instance was preceded by years of tide and waves studies due to the extreme conditions we face in North Harbour and that the proposed new structures have been designed as part of a phased development that will eventually see the whole harbour improved and redesigned to host a marina amongst other features. Most proposals over the years have incorporated some form of new breakwater but sadly the wave studies show that no combination of breakwaters will guarantee to reduce the wave heights sufficiently for safe operations. The proposed solution involving hydraulically operated lock gates will greatly facilitate and very significantly reduce the costs and risks of the further proposed works to deepen and develop the harbour by allowing for the area to be dried out in future so that works can be carried out on dry ground. Indeed this will also generate very significant savings in on-going maintenance over time. Great care has also been taken not to alter the incoming wave actions so that the beach in North Harbour, the only sandy beach on the Island will be unaffected. We commend the highly professional approach of all concerned who have come up with the most optimum solution give all the technical and other constraints and we look forward to a new phase of development on Oileán Chléire