Brian Walsh (Galway West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Mr. Carey for his contribution this morning and for coming to talk to us. I thought he was a more modest individual but I agree entirely with the sentiments expressed in his contribution. He has made a very valuable contribution to the Galway Harbour Company since he was appointed first as a member and subsequently as chairman.

I served on the board with Mr. Carey from 2005 to 2009 so I know first hand that on many occasions he went far beyond the call of duty in his role. Going through notes for the meeting I saw a document which suggested Mr. Carey had attended 53 out of the past 53 meetings. He has not missed any meetings and is making a very valuable contribution, which is reflected in the fact the Minister has chosen to reappoint him. I am new to this game but I suggest it is unusual that a Government of a different political persuasion would choose to reappoint a chairperson appointed by its predecessor. It speaks volumes of Mr. Carey's ability and contribution to the board over the years.

I am familiar with Mr. Carey's ambitious plans. I know the existing funding structures and that Mr. Carey may be able to gear up against other assets to fund these plans. On several occasions the Taoiseach has clearly outlined his strong support for this vision for Galway port and has publicly stated as recently as during the Volvo Ocean Race that he is entirely behind the plan and will be of assistance with regard to whatever funding mechanism Mr. Carey tries to achieve.

Mr. Carey mentioned the cruise operators which visited Galway last year. These included some of the biggest cruise line operators in the world, many based in Miami. It was a great achievement to have this calibre of person reviewing Mr. Carey's plans and seeing the region. I spoke to one of the CEOs who had just placed an order for a vessel costing in the region of US$1 billion. She indicated the possibility that some of these cruise line operators would part-finance the development of the new port. Has Mr. Carey explored this in any great detail since then? Is it an avenue he could pursue?

Through my involvement with the Volvo Ocean Race I have spoken to John Killeen, who was the main man behind bringing the event to Galway for the second time. He has suggested concerns are beginning to emerge about the quality of the infrastructure at Dublin Port for the storage and acceptance of oil product. He sees Galway Port having a major advantage, as the Enwest terminal and other terminals developed in recent years are state-of-the-art. He suggests the facilities at Galway Port are the safest and most advanced in terms of acceptance and storage of oil product in Europe. Does Mr. Carey see this as being a possibility for future development? Will he elaborate, if he has the information, on the people behind the Enwest terminal? At what cost was it developed? I do not believe he meant the Galway Harbour Company contributed to it but does he have a rough estimate of its cost and where it stands with regard to the Seveso regulations? I am aware of concerns about oil product and proximity to areas of population.

The Government will soon introduce a policy on ports. Where would Mr. Carey like to see Galway being positioned in this policy? On the basis of the information provided today it will not be up there competing with Dublin, Shannon Foynes or Cork, which are the top three ports. What statement would Mr. Carey like to see in the ports policy relating to Galway Harbour? I thank Mr. Carey for coming before the committee today.