As the Deputy has referred to, in line with National Ports Policy published in 2013, no Exchequer funding is provided to any commercial port company.
Irish ports have operated on a commercial basis without recourse to State funding since their corporatisation in the 1990s. Ports are expected to fund their activities, including all maintenance works and capital infrastructure investment from their own resources.
In keeping with National Ports Policy, the provision of adequate and efficient capacity into the future is a crucial strategic objective. However, the planning and development of large-scale infrastructure such as commercial port development requires significant organisational, operational and financial resources. It is important that bodies bringing forward significant port capacity projects have the resources required. Therefore, Government expects the Ports of National Significance to lead the response of the State commercial ports sector to future national port capacity requirements.
All three of the Tier 1 Ports of National Significance, Dublin, Cork and Shannon Foynes, have Masterplans (i.e. long term planning) in play and are currently engaged in major infrastructural projects to increase draft, berth size and capacity. These developments are funded by the ports themselves.
There is no short-term pressure on national port capacity. In fact, some ports are currently operating under capacity.
In relation to the five Ports of Regional Significance, Drogheda, Dún Laoghaire, Galway, New Ross and Wicklow, National Ports Policy recommends that these are transferred to more appropriate local authority-led governance structures. The longer term development of these ports is best placed within their regional and local communities to allow both develop in a manner that is mutually beneficial. Two of these five ports, Wicklow and Drogheda, have already transferred to the control of the relevant local authority.
