I beg leave of the Dáil to introduce a Bill to place certain harbours under the control of the Commissioners of Public Works in Ireland and to provide for the regulation of the amounts of the charges to be levied in such harbours under the control of the Commissioners aforesaid and for other purposes relating to the said harbours, and to change the name of Kingstown Harbour.
This Bill deals with two harbours, Dun Laoghaire and Dunmore harbours. Each of these harbours is vested in Commissioners who were appointed by the Lord Lieutenant, but would in future be appointed by the Executive Council or the Governor-General. In actual practice the same persons have been appointed Harbour Commissioners for Dun Laoghaire as have been Commissioners for Public Works. But in their capacity as Harbour Commissioners for Dun Laoghaire they own and manage the harbour. In their capacity of Commissioners for Public Works they maintain the harbour. It is considered desirable that this duality should be ended and that the Commissioners of Public Works should maintain the harbours in one capacity. It is also provided in the Bill that certain restrictions with regard to the power of the Harbour Commissioners to fix tolls and dues should be removed and that they should be able to fix such tolls and dues as seem to be suitable and appropriate.
Leave to introduce Bill granted.
