Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 3 May 1990

Vol. 398 No. 3

Written Answers. - Access Transport Services.

Peter Barry

Ceist:

22 Mr. Barry asked the Minister for Tourism and Transport if he will discuss with the European Commission the possibility of treating a free roll-on roll-off ferry between Cork and a French port as infrastructure in order that Irish exporters will not be at a disadvantage after 1 January 1993.

Enda Kenny

Ceist:

23 Mr. Kenny asked the Minister for Tourism and Transport if his attention has been drawn to port cost differential and ferry charge differential to exporters from the Twenty-six Counties using the Larne/Stranraer route as against Dublin port; if his attention has further been drawn to the serious disadvantage which this represents to Irish based exporters; his proposals to deal with this; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

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

With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 22 and 23 together.

As I said in response to a similar parliamentary question in November last, it has been recognised for some time that Irish exporters are at a disadvantage vis-à-vis their Northern Ireland counterparts in relation to overall transport costs, including port and shipping charges. These and other factors such as frequency and capacity of shipping services and lower costs of Northern Ireland hauliers, have resulted in a loss of traffic to Northern Ireland ports.

The Government are aware that the quality and competitiveness of our access transport services must be improved if we are to take full advantage of the completion of the Single European Market in 1992. In that regard, the current consultancy study into sea and air freight access transport services, which I commissioned earlier this year and which is being carried out in conjunction with the European Commission, will examine,inter alia, existing and proposed shipping services from all our major ports, including Dublin and Cork, and will contain proposals for improving those services. It will also examine any factors in the Irish transport sector which impose excessive costs on Irish exporters. I expect to receive the consultants' report within four to six weeks, following which discussions will take place on their findings with the European Commission. Pending receipt of the consultants' report, it would be premature for me to speculate about what action should be taken in any particular area.