Mr. Ray Lawlor:

I thank the Deputy. The first issue he has raised pertains to the possible sale of the port. While I was not on the board when the McCarthy report was published, I was aware the possible sale of ports was mentioned therein. I note that during my first stint as a director of the port from 1997, this issue was also raised in a port review document. I believe the forthcoming port policy review will revert to addressing this issue again. As to whether a sale would affect throughput or the port itself, as someone who has been involved in business, if it was Government policy to sell off a State asset, I cannot envisage that whosoever would seek to buy it would so do without a view towards increasing business.

It is dependent on the Government’s policy and the incoming board will have to wait for the policy review to see the implications for New Ross Port.

New Ross Port Company has always been supportive of marine-leisure tourism initiatives in its catchment area on the Barrow and on the estuary. There is a galley cruising restaurant in New Ross, the only one in the country. New Ross also has the Dunbrody famine ship which expanded earlier this year and its visitor numbers are up. Both of these facilities, as well as the marina owned by the local authority, are supported in all ways by the port company. To my knowledge, the port company has not, to date, been involved in generating any income from these supports. In the current difficult economic circumstances, the port company is not in a position to support an initiative unless there is a possibility of generating income.

Regarding the merger of ports, in the original ports policy in 2005 mergers were seen as a possibility. The New Ross Port Company examined it at the time but it was not seen as a viable option. I would have to wait for the forthcoming review to see if anything has changed in the interim. In certain instances, port mergers have worked very well.