Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 7 July 2015
595. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport further to the upcoming harbours (amendment) Bill, if the elected members will vote upon the different transfer methods, or if this decision will be taken by the unelected executives. [27555/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Harbours Bill 2015 was published on 1st July and will commence its Oireachtas passage very shortly.
The Bill is designed to provide maximum legislative flexibility. It will not prescribe the model of transfer but instead will allow for the most appropriate model of governance to be chosen in respect of each individual company. The two possible models of transfer provided in the Bill are:
1. Retention of the existing company structure and transfer of the Ministerial shareholding in the company to the local authority; or
2. Dissolution of the existing company structure and transfer of all assets, liabilities and employees into local authority structures, where the port will be administered as a functional area of the local authority.
The manner of transfer selected in each case will be the one that finds broad consensus and agreement between the parties. The views of elected members form part of that overall process. My Department has funding available for each local authority to assist in a due diligence exercise and different local authorities are at different stages of due diligence.
The legal method of transfer will be via a Ministerial Order made under the new Harbours Bill. The Order will be signed by the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport with the consent of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (as joint company shareholder) and the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government (as Minister responsible for local government).
