My Department has been carrying out a review of ports policy over the past year.
A public consultation was held, with submissions received from various stakeholders, including industry representatives, non-governmental organisations and other bodies.
A number of common themes emerged around the following issues:
The organisational structure and State ownership of the sector
The interaction between ports policy and the planning system
Corporate Governance of the State port companies
Environmental issues
There are of course differing opinions under these headings; however, what is common to all stakeholders is recognition of the critically important role the commercial ports play in our economy.
The ports around our coast are very diverse and the policy needs to take account of this in order to ensure that the ownership and governance structures allow the ports to develop in a manner befitting their individual circumstances.
The objective is an overarching policy framework that will underpin the sector's future growth and ensure that Ireland is served by the first class port infrastructure it requires.
At this stage, I am fairly clear as to what the questions are in relation to future ports policy. However, the answers require further consideration. It is still my intention to publish a revised policy in the next few months.