asked the Minister for Transport and Power if at any time during the past ten years any departmental or interdepartmental committee investigated the possibility of establishing a major shipping port in the north-west of the country; if any report was made to his Department or to the Government; and, if so, if he will make a statement on the report.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Major Shipping Port.
10.
No such investigation was carried out by a committee under the aegis of my Department or by an interdepartmental committee on which my Department was represented.
Would the Minister think there is need for such investigation?
I do not think so. A port is only one link in the chain in getting goods from a factory to the consumers and in getting raw material to the factory. Generally, the people concerned choose the cheapest possible route. If port charges were too high they would tend to go to a cheaper port and use a land bridge connection. However, I shall be glad to have another look at the matter, but it seems at present that there is no commercial demand for such a port.