Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 1 Feb 1990

Vol. 395 No. 2

Written Answers. - Consultancy Study Air and Sea Freight Links.

Bernard Allen

Ceist:

58 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Tourism and Transport if he will make a statement on reports that the Government has sanctioned a special £200,000 consultancy study to consider high speed air and sea freight links with Britain and mainland Europe; if he will give details of the brief given to the consultants concerned (details supplied); and if he will make available to Dáil Éireann a copy of the brief given to these consultants.

Minister for Tourism and Transport (Mr. S. Brennan)

The Deputy will be aware that the National Development Plan contains proposals for major EC assisted investment in sea and air freight services linking Ireland with Britain and the European mainland. The consultancy firm, Stokes Kennedy Crowley, have been commissioned to undertake a major feasibility study into these proposals over the next four months. The study, which is steered by a committee representative of the Departments of Tourism and Transport, the Marine and Finance and the European Commission, under the chairmanship of a senior officer of my Department, has the following terms of reference:

Having regard to the proposals in the Irish Government's National Development Plan for EC-assisted investment in sea and air freight services in the context of Ireland's peripherality within the Single European Market

(1) To examine and report on the existing demand for, and provision of, infrastructure and services for the movement of freight in both directions between Ireland and (a) Britain and (b) the other EC Member States;

(2) To project the evolution of needs and opportunities, at five-yearly intervals, up to the year 2010 and to describe and assess the intentions and plans of providers of infrastructure and services within Ireland and elsewhere (in so far as relevant);

(3) To make recommendations for measures required within Ireland and (in so far as necessary) elsewhere to improve or to create infrastructure and services and to evaluate such measures by reference to their effectiveness, feasibility, capital and operating costs and commercial viability, secondary effects (e.g. displacement effects, environmental impacts);

(4) To make proposals for other measures which could be taken to improve the efficiency of sea and air freight services and in particular those required to achieve reductions in the transport costs borne by Irish exporters.

Recommendations arising from the feasibility study will be given careful consideration with a view to appropriate action being taken to improve Ireland's freight links with Britain and the Continent.