Seanad Éireann debate -
Thursday, 23 Jan 1992

Vol. 131 No. 2

Adjournment Matter. - Dún Laoghaire Harbour Development.

Mr. Cosgrave

First, may I congratulate Senator Fallon on his election as Cathaoirleach. I wish him every success. I know he will bring great dignity and wisdom to the office of Cathaoirleach. Secondly, may I welcome the Minister for the Marine to the House. The matter I have raised is of great concern to the people of Dún Laoghaire. There are many factors involved. With the agreement of the House I wish to share my time with my constituency colleagues, Senator Conroy and Senator Keogh.

As a result of recent debate and discussion on the future of Dún Laoghaire harbour and our desire to safeguard the Sealink ferry service I now raise this matter in the House. Some of the matters I will refer to are the direct responsibility of the Minister here present but others are partly his responsibility and that of other Ministers. However, I hope he will be able to give the House an assurance on the matters I will raise.

We are all aware that responsibility for the facilities at Dún Laoghaire harbour has been transferred recently to the Minister's Department. The people of Dún Laoghaire are very concerned about possible proposals to move the car ferry service from Dún Laoghaire to the city centre. This would be the death knell for Dún Laoghaire and the harbour workers are also concerned about their future.

We are all aware of the value of Dublin port. That port can exist and prosper in its own right. My constituency colleagues and I hope to get a clear commitment from the Minister on the future of Dún Laoghaire harbour. We hope the ferry service will be maintained at Dún Laoghaire. Indeed, we hope that funds will be sought from the European Community to further develop it. We believe that Dublin port and Dún Laoghaire harbour should both be developed. It is most important that the car ferry service remains in Dún Laoghaire and we would like the Minister to give a commitment for its future. Dublin port and the lobby group there have produced a glossy brochure on their facilities. Recently, staff at Dublin port went on strike. I do not think such a situation could be tolerated if the Sealink ferry service was removed to Dublin port.

The car ferry service is very important for Dún Laoghaire which is a developing tourist area. It is important that this gateway to Ireland be maintained. I hope the Minister will give this House an assurance that he is committed to ensuring the car ferry service is maintained at Dún Laoghaire and that the funds needed to develop the harbour, as identified in the harbour interim report, will be forthcoming. It is important that Dún Laoghaire be developed as the access point for tourists using the ferry service. Indeed, we hope that other leisure facilities will also be developed. Dún Laoghaire has the advantage that the DART is right beside it. If one arrives at Dublin port one is subsequently dropped off near Bus Aras, which is most unsatisfactory. The case for Dún Laoghaire is crystal clear.

I hope the Minister will give a clear commitment that funds will be sought to develop Dún Laoghaire harbour. We should develop Dublin Port as the cargo handling service but Dún Laoghaire should be developed as the tourist point of access to Ireland. Tourism is a very important industry for the hoteliers and those who run small guesthouses or town and country homes and other businesses in Dún Laoghaire. Therefore, it is important that the Minister gives a clear commitment on the proposals for Dún Laoghaire harbour. I hope the Minister will outline his ideas of how things will develop in the future. As I have indicated, we in Dún Laoghaire are not taking party lines; this is not a political matter. We want a clear commitment from the Minister.

I would like to share my time with Senators Conroy and Keogh.

Professor Conroy

May I congratulate you, a Chathaoirligh, on your appointment. I first met you nearly 20 years ago and the kindness and consideration of you and your wife have been evident ever since. You are someone for whom I have the greatest regard and respect. You are a person of enormous integrity and I can think of few, if any, people more suitable for one of the highest offices in this State. I extend my best wishes for what I am sure will be an excellent time, a very happy time and a very successful time in the Chair.

As a second courtesy, I must also thank my good colleague, Senator Cosgrave, for giving me a few moments to emphasise that the ferry service is the lifeblood of Dún Laoghaire. Dún Laoghaire was founded upon the ferry service and it is essential for the progress of Dún Laoghaire that the ferry service continue as an integral part of the harbour.

Miss Keogh

Without wishing to labour the point, I offer you, a Chathaoirligh, my best wishes. You are an excellent choice; and you are someone for whom I have the greatest admiration.

I welcome the Minister to the House and I thank my colleague, Senator Cosgrave for sharing his time.

As Senator Conroy has reiterated, the importance of the harbour in Dún Laoghaire cannot be understated. Right across party lines, we in Dún Laoghaire are all committed to the development of the town, the harbour and the hinterland served by that harbour. We were rather dismayed when we saw the plans for the development of Dublin Port, not to knock the development of the port itself, but because we felt that the emphasis was on downgrading what would happen to Dún Laoghaire and we are fearful this will happen. We need support for the ferry because it is an essential part of the lifeblood of Dún Laoghaire.

Senator Cosgrave explained the importance of the ferry service for hoteliers and other business people. If Dún Laoghaire were not served by the ferry service, then part of the lifeblood of the tourist industry in the area would be stemmed. That is something we could not live with. The ferry service is critical to the existence of Dún Laoghaire.

We ask the Minister to show some commitment to the ferry service, to the future development of Dún Laoghaire and, perhaps, to funding. I realise that, in the context of Dublin, Dún Laoghaire is often forgotten. It has to be emphasised that all parties in Dún Laoghaire are absolutely determined that Dún Laoghaire not be allowed to fall by the wayside.

Without labouring the point, I ask the Minister to bring our case to the Cabinet table and to champion it for us.

Minister for the Marine (Mr. Wilson)

Cuireann sé gliondar croí orm mo chomhghairdeas a ghabháil leat, a Chathaoirligh. Bhí mé ag éisteacht leis an díospóireacht nuair a ainmníoch thú agus dúirt Comhaltaí an tSeanaid go raibh tú ionracach, agus tá a fhios sin agam. Dúirt siad freisin go raibh tú cuirtéiseach agus tá a fhios ag an domhan go bhfuil sé sin fíor. Tá áthas orm go bhfuil tú i do Chathaoirleach, agus guím gura fada buan thú ann.

I am grateful to Senator Cosgrave for raising this matter and appreciate the contributions made by him, Senator Conroy and Senator Keogh. I was a little disappointed by some of their remarks, and I shall expand on that point in a moment.

Before addressing the specific topic put down by Senator Cosgrave, I should like to make my reply in the context of my strategy for Dún Laoghaire harbour. When I was appointed Minister for the Marine one of the first matters that engaged my attention was Dún Laoghaire harbour. The importance of the harbour as a national maritime amenity, together with its position as Ireland's premier passenger port, would have been enough to ensure that it was high on my agenda anyway, but the alacrity and persistence with which Dún Laogharie's public representatives — as evidenced by the three Members of the Seanad here today — of my own party and of all other parties, as Senator Cosgrave was anxious to emphasise, lobbied me continuously about the harbour. That made doubly sure that I should examine what needed to be done with regard to the preservation and development of that magnificent part of our maritime heritage. There are people who are more than dedicated to that heritage and to making sure that others know about it.

I subsequently consulted with a variety of people concerned with the harbour, including public representatives at that time. Numerous views and ideas were put to me and it was clear that the harbour excited the attention of just about everybody in the Borough of Dún Laoghaire. I was impressed that the people of Dún Laoghaire felt so strongly about their harbour, and it encouraged me to attempt to reconcile the multiplicity of views and ideas — sometimes conflicting, as the public representatives would know — that had been directed to me. One point that was forcibly made by all Dún Laoghaire representatives was the need to establish a harbour authority.

I had read with interest the review group report on the harbour prepared prior to my appointment as Minister for the Marine. The very able chairman of the review group, Professor Dermot McAleese, graciously accepted my invitation to chair an interim Dún Laoghaire Harbour Board. A range of experience was required to make the board effective and, in a relatively short space of time, I assembled what has proved to be a most energetic group of men and women. They have since prepared a most exciting blueprint for the development of Dún Laoghaire Harbour. As the public representatives and you, a Chathaoirligh, will know, it has been on display, and numerous submissions received from harbour users and from the general public are being considered by the board with a view to preparing their final development plan. It is expected to be completed within the next two months.

Not surprisingly, a central part of the board's draft plan is the development of the ferry terminal facility. I shall now come to the specific terms of the motion. I do think, however, that it was important for me to give some account of my earlier consideration of the future of the harbour and my subsequent decision to appoint an interim board.

The most important shipping service from Dún Laoghaire Harbour, a service which has a long unbroken tradition, is that between Dún Laoghaire and Holyhead. Sealink Stena Line operate multipurpose vessels between Holyhead and Dún Laoghaire, carrying passengers, cars and some roll-on/roll-off traffic. I am aware of the overwhelming support of the people of Dún Laoghaire, which has been reiterated here in the House, for the retention of the service and I fully realise the importance they attach to its continuation. My view on the matter is well known to them and to public representatives generally but I will restate the position in case of any doubt. It is because my views are well known that I was a little disappointed when Senator Keogh said I should make some kind of commitment. I thought I was already on record for some time making such commitment.

Any proposal to develop passenger facilities in Dún Laoghaire Harbour will have to await the completion of the Dún Laoghaire Harbour development plan which is being finalised at present by the interim Dún Laoghaire Harbour Board and, following that, the Government's consideration of the plan.

As I have informed the Dáil previously, following consideration of the interim board's development plan and the comments offered by the public and of other relevant studies and reports on the matter, I shall be in a position to consider the alternatives available in Dublin Bay for the development of berthage and terminal facilities which service the central corridor.

I point out that I have indicated my support on a number of occasions for the retention of the ferry service in Dún Laoghaire and I cannot emphasise that enough. I do not think there is anything useful I can add to his other than to reiterate that it is I who set in motion the process which I expect will lead to the development of Dún Laoghaire harbour's ferry terminal facilities and so help to secure the ferry service to Holyhead. I have been totally committed to the service and I am glad to acknowledge that I have been fortunate in securing the assistance and advice of an excellent board under the chairmanship of Professor Dermot McAleese.

Tá súil agam go bhfuil an Seanadóir Cosgrave agus na Comhaltaí eile sásta leis an méid atá ráite agam. Tá an gealltanas tugtha agam anois agus seasfaidh mé leis an ghealltanas sin.

The Seanad adjourned at 3.45 p.m. until 12 noon on Thursday, 30 January 1992.