Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 21 Mar 1991

Vol. 406 No. 8

Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Harbour Authorities.

Patrick McCartan

Question:

14 Mr. McCartan asked the Minister for the Marine the number of harbour authorities which exist for the management of harbours in the State; the number of these which are (a) established under statute or charter, (b) established by ministerial order or licence and (c) exist on a voluntary consultative basis; and if he will set out the way in which the authorities are composed where they exist.

Mr. Noonan

(Limerick West): As the Deputy's question is very detailed I propose to circulate statements with the Official Report. These statements will refer to: Table A — Statutes-charters under which harbour authorities at commercial harbours were constituted; Table B — Composition of boards of scheduled commercial harbour authorities; Table C — Fishery harbour centres; Table D — State harbours; Table E — Department of the Marine harbours, piers and landing places and Table F — Local authority harbours, piers and landing places.

Table A: Commercial Harbours

Harbour	Statute/Charter under which constituted
Annagassan	Annagassan Pier and Harbour Order, 1912
Arklow	Arklow Harbour Act, 1882
Ballyshannon	Ballyshannon Harbour Order, 1886
Baltimore and Skibbereen	Baltimore and Skibbereen Harbour Order, 1884
Bantry Bay	Harbour Act, 1976
Buncrana	Pier and Harbour Provisional Order (Confirmation) Act, 1929
Cork	Cork Harbour Act, 1820
Dingle	Dingle Harbour Order, 1885
Drogheda	Drogheda Harbour Act, 1842
Dublin	Dublin Port Act, 1867
Dundalk	Dundalk Harbour and Port Act, 1925
Foynes	Foynes Harbour Order, 1890 — made under the Shannon Act, 1885
Galway	Galway Harbour and Port Act, 1853
Kilrush	Cappa Pier Order, 1886 — made under the Shannon Act, 1885
Kinsale	Kinsale Harbour Order, 1870
Limerick	Limerick Harbour Act, 1867
Moy River	Moy Navigation Amendment Act, 1860
New Ross	New Ross Port and Harbour Amendment Act, 1861
Sligo	Sligo Harbour Act, 1870
Tralee and Fenit	Tralee and Fenit Harbour Order, 1880
Waterford	An Act for improving the port of Waterford and other purposes relating thereto 1816
Westport	Westport Port and Harbour Act, 1853
Wexford	Wexford Harbour Act, 1874
Wicklow	Wicklow Harbour Act, 1851
Youghal	Youghal Harbour Order, 1878

(Source: Report of the Ports and Harbours Tribunal, 1930).

With the exception of the Bantry Bay Authority (established by the Harbours Act, 1976) all bodies set up to manage harbours were reconstituted under the Harbours Act, 1946.

Table B: Composition of Scheduled Harbour Authorities

(a) Part I Harbour Authorities

Dublin, Cork, Waterford and Limerick

Appointed by:	No. of Members
Local Authorities	5 (Dublin)
	5 (Cork)
	9 (Limerick)
	8 (Waterford)
Chambers of Commerce	4
Irish Livestock Trade	2
Confederation of Irish Industry	2
Councils of Trade Unions	2
Elected by Shipping Interests	4
Nominated by Minister	4

(b) Part II Harbour Authorities

Annagassan, Arklow, Ballyshannon, Baltimore and Skibbereen, Bantry Bay, Buncrana, Dingle, Drogheda, Dundalk, Foynes, Galway, Kinsale, New Ross, River Moy, Sligo, Tralee and Fenit, Westport, Wexford and Wicklow.

Appointed by:	No. of Members
Local Authorities	4 (New Ross and Drogheda have 6)
Chambers of Commerce	2
Elected by Shipping Interests	2
Nominated by Minister	3

The scheduled commercial harbours at Kilrush and Youghal are governed and managed by their respective urban district councils.

Table C: Fishery Harbours

There are five harbours designated as fishery harbour centres under the terms of the 1968 Fishery Harbour Centres Act. They are as follows:

Killybegs	County Donegal
Rossaveal	County Galway
Howth	County Dublin
Dunmore East	County Waterford, and
Castletownbere	County Cork

The Department of the Marine are responsible for the funding, management, operation, maintenance and development of the centres.

Table D: State Harbours (Dún Laoghaire)

Dún Laoghaire Harbour is owned and managed by the Department of the Marine under the Dún Laoghaire Harbours Act, 1990. It was formerly under the control of the Commissioners of Public Works under the State Harbours Act, 1924. Prior to 1924, the Commissioners were also known as the Kingstown Harbour Commissioners, whose responsibilities derived from various 19th century Acts relating to Kingstown (Dún Laoghaire).

Table E: Department of the Marine Harbours, Piers and Landing Places

A number of harbours, or parts of harbours on the west coast are the responsibility of the Department of the Marine. These were either built in accordance with the Marine Works (Ireland) Act, 1902, or were formerly under the control of the Congested Districts Board and transferred to the fisheries branch of the Department of Agriculture circa 1923.

Table F: Local Authority Harbours, Piers and Landing Places

The vast bulk of the remainder of harbours, piers and landing places are the responsibility of the relevant local authority. In many cases, this responsibility derives from the adaptation of the Irish Enactments Order, 1899 to the Grand Juries Act, 1853.

An Ceann Comhairle

Deputy Gilmore will appreciate this is primarily in the form of a tabular statement.

Mr. Gilmore

It is very difficult to ask a supplementary on the Minister's reply but may I ask one brief question? Does the Minister envisage establishing a separate independent harbour authority for Dún Laoghaire Harbour which, presumably, would be listed under Table D in the list he is going to circulate to us?

Mr. Noonan

(Limerick West): As the Deputy knows, an interim harbour board are operating at the moment in Dún Laoghaire. Also a harbours review committee are sitting. I am not prepared at this stage to report on the interim board or the harbours review committee.