O’Dowd opens new £300,000 jetty on Devenish Island

Funding from the Department for Infrastructure is delivering for tourism, heritage and for the rural economy, Minister John O’Dowd has said.

Minister O'Dowd with Sharon McDonnell Senior Engineer, Waterways Ireland and Garret McGrath Regional Manager Waterways Ireland.

The Minister was speaking as he officially opened a new £300k jetty on Devenish Island, a project that was made possible through funding from the department.

Thanks to DfI support, Waterways Ireland has extended the island’s east jetty by 60 metres, doubling mooring capacity at the heritage site from six to 12 vessels.

Minister John O’Dowd said:

“Devenish Island is an important and cherished heritage site. As the most popular attraction on Lough Erne, it draws visitors from far and wide. It is great to be here today, not only to see this project come to fruition, but also to experience the beauty of Devenish Island.

“The extension of the new jetty will enhance the visitor experience to the island by offering improved accessibility and reduced waiting times. It also ensures the viability of the site for years to come.

“This is an example of the positive change that infrastructure can deliver, and I am pleased that my department’s investment of just over £300,000 has made this new jetty a reality. I am committed to tackling regional imbalance and my department’s investment in this rural community project is an important step in doing that.”

Minister O’Dowd then travelled to Enniskillen where he met with staff from Waterways Ireland. He said:

“It has been great to see at first hand and hear more about some of the recent enhancements Waterways Ireland is bringing to our navigations across the island. Their commitment to their Climate Change Plan is clear to see and protecting the environment is at the heart of what they do. Climate change is a global issue and we can all learn by this example as we go about our daily lives.”  

Notes to editors: 

1. Pictured at the new jetty are Sharon McDonnell Senior Engineer, Waterways Ireland, John O’Dowd Minister for Infrastructure and Garret McGrath Regional Manager Waterways Ireland.
2. Devenish island attracts over 200,000 visitors per annum.
3. All media queries should be directed to the Department for Infrastructure Press Office at: press.office@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk.
4. The Executive Information Service operates an out of hours service for media enquiries only between 1800hrs and 0800hrs Monday to Friday and at weekends and public holidays. The duty press officer can be contacted on 028 9037 8110.
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