Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 10 May 2000

Vol. 518 No. 6

Written Answers. - Port Development.

Ivor Callely

Ceist:

97 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources the activity in and capacity of Dublin Port; the additional capacity the port could handle on existing infrastructure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12681/00]

Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources (Mr. Fahey)

On 3 March 1997, Dublin Port Company was corporatised and since then has been statutorily responsible under the Harbours Act, 1996, for the management, control, direction and development of the harbour as a commercial State company. Freeing up the port from direct State control gave it the commercial freedom needed to operate as a modern, customer oriented service industry, while enhancing accountability for operation and financial performance.

Dublin Port is a multi-modal port catering for all cargo modes, as well as for passengers. In terms of capacity, Dublin port had a record throughput in 1999 of 15 million tonnes (net), which was an increase of 15% on the 1998 figure.

To determine the needs of the ports industry my Department commissioned independent consultants in 1998 to complete an EU funded national seaport capacity study. The study is a significant tool in ensuring the development and maintenance of adequate infrastructural capacity at strategic Irish ports to cope with economic growth and to underpin future development plans to deliver that capacity and has identified requirements up to 2007. The study had determined that throughput at Dublin Port would be 14.4 million tonnes in 1999 against traffic projections for 2007 of 22.2 million tonnes. Given that the throughput at Dublin Port, along with that at other ports, has been exceeding the projects, my Department determined the need to update the study. In this regard, consultants have recently been commissioned to update the study and this is currently under way.

Based on the examination of the port industries' importance to the economy and of its development needs over the period to 2007, I am aware that a substantial investment programme for ports is required. This programme will comprise a number of complementary measures which will seek to maximise the use of existing facilities and infrastructure, and ensure sufficient new infrastructure is added as demand grows. Dublin Port has identified its investment requirement and this is being considered for co-financing in the context of available funds under the National Development Plan 2000-06 and the capacity of the port, and possibly port users, to fund such new infrastructure as well as the cost of existing facilities.