Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 20 Feb 1991

Vol. 405 No. 4

Written Answers. - Grants to Harbour Authorities.

Ivan Yates

Question:

78 Mr. Yates asked the Minister for the Marine if he will outline (1) the total level of investment by the State to date and (2) the rate of return achieved by each of the following sea ports: (a) Dublin, (b) Cork, (c) Limerick, (d) Waterford, (e) Drogheda, County Louth, (f) New Ross, County Wexford, (g) Foynes, County Limerick and (h) Dún Laoghaire, County Dublin.

Minister for the Marine (Mr. Wilson)

In the period March 1987 — when the Department of the Marine was established — to December 1990, State grant assistance as follows has been paid to the scheduled harbour authorities referred to by the Deputy:

Harbour Authority	1987 (Mar.-Dec.)	1988	1989	1990
	£000s	£000s	£000s	£000s
Dublin Port and Docks Board	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil
Cork Harbour Commissioners	585	40	Nil	Nil
Limerick Harbour Commissioners	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil
Waterford Harbour Commissioners	Nil	Nil	Nil	200
Drogheda Harbour Commissioners	Nil	158	350	242
New Ross Harbour Commissioners	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil
Foynes Harbour Trustees	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil

Investments in harbour improvement works are considered as improvements in the basic infrastructue of the country and benefit not just the harbour authorities but the whole economy. It is, therefore, difficult to assess the overall rates of return on harbour investment. All applications for State grant assistance towards the cost of harbour development works are examined to determine whether marginal investments achieve at least minimum targets in terms of return on investment; but all the benefits are not fully quantifiable.

Since my Department assumed responsibility for Dún Laoghaire Harbour on 1 January 1989 no major capital investment has been made in the harbour. The cost of minor improvements to the ferry terminal and other harbour structures has been met from the operational budget for the harbour.