Vol. 528 No. 2
97 Mr. Daly asked the Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources if he will guarantee that the pensions of former staff members of the Limerick Harbour Commissioners and Limerick Pilotage Authority remain unaffected in every respect as a result of the merger of Shannon Estuary Port Company and Foynes Port Company or in the event of the privatisation of that company; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30020/00]
On 18 September 2000 the Foynes Port Company and the Shannon Estuary Ports Company, the successor authorities to Foynes Harbour Trustees and Limerick Harbour Com missioners were amalgamated to form the Shannon Foynes Port Company on foot of the Harbours Acts, 1996 and 2000, (Transfer of Functions of Foynes Port Company and Shannon Estuary Ports Company) Order, 2000, (S.I. No. 283/2000).
Section 41 (1) of the Harbours Act, 1996, provides for existing superannuation schemes, the establishment of pension funds and arrangements for pilots etc., in the context of the transfer from the former Limerick Harbour Commissioners to the former Shannon Estuary Ports Company, to continue in existence or force and apply to each person to whom it applied immediately before corporatisation. Similarly section 1 of the Harbours (Amendment) Act, 2000, provides, by way of amendment of the 1996 Act, for its continued application to the new Shannon Foynes Port Company.
I can assure the Deputy that the statutory position in the matter arising from the formation of the new Shannon Foynes Port Company remains unchanged.
There are no proposals to privatise State port companies.
