Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 1 March 2023
48. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Transport if he is aware of Dublin Port having reduced the number of days for which product can be held at the port from ten to two; the reason for such; when the change was introduced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10340/23]
View answer49. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Transport the amount of money raised through fines related to products being held at Dublin Port for the years 2017 to date, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10341/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 48 and 49 together.
Section 13 of the Harbours Act, 1996 provides that port companies may raise charges on ships, cargo and passengers. Article 13 of the Port Regulation (2017/352) obliges Member States to ensure that port infrastructure charges are levied by port companies such as Dublin Port Company (DPC). The regulation also requires port companies to ensure that users of the port infrastructure are informed of any changes in the nature or level of the port infrastructure charges at least two months in advance of the date on which those changes come into effect. The regulation further states that the structure and the level of port infrastructure charges shall be determined according to the port’s own commercial strategy and investment plans.
My Department is aware that in April 2019, DPC announced the Dublin Port Dwell Time Initiative to decrease the dwell time of containers and trailers at the Port to increase the Port’s throughput capacity for future growth. Phase one reduced the free time period allowed for containers and trailers (from seven days to four days) and increased charges for storage thereafter at one of the three container terminals in Dublin Port which handles trade with continental Europe. This became effective in June 2019. It was also announced at that time that further phases would reduce the dwell time to two days.
While DPC originally informed container terminals and shipping companies in 2019 of increases to charges set for April 2020, DPC postponed this planned increase in 2020 owing to the exceptional trading environment created by Covid-19. Since then, the DPC decided a five-year pricing strategy, rather than yearly announcements, was preferable in order to offer surety to their customers. This was discussed with the Department in advance of publication in 2021 and implementation commenced in 2022 to allow customers to adapt and make new arrangements as appropriate.
Increasing the level of charges and reducing the free dwell times allowed for containers and trailers will maximise the use of land at the terminal. Shorter dwell times will lead to fewer containers being stored for longer than necessary, thereby freeing up space for more cargo to move through the same amount of land. It will also encourage less dwell time of empty containers and drive the storage of empty units to locations outside the port as well as incentivising the sector to maximise the use of containers. This increases port capacity and encourages more efficient use of port lands to cater for growing demand.
DPC is responsible for the operation and management of the port and information regarding the amount of money raised through fines related to products being held at Dublin Port is commercially sensitive. However, the intention of reducing dwell time is not a revenue-seeking initiative, it is a mechanism to encourage the faster movement of containers through the port in order to free up capacity.
