Mr. Paul Carey:

With regard to cruise funding, we have had preliminary discussions. When one has valid client permission people sit up and take notice. An executive from a subsidiary of Royal Caribbean came to Galway. It has funded many ports in the Caribbean and the United States and is looking for hubs in Europe where it would have certain landing and docking rights. While Galway is on the west coast of Europe, it links with cruises around the British Isles and as far north as Norway, Sweden and the Arctic Circle. When a company relocates ships they travel across the Atlantic, and Galway would be their first or last port of call. One of the executives was very interested in how far the nearest airport was from Galway, which is now Shannon Airport after the closure of Galway Airport. If it had a hub it would fly passengers in and out, and the fact that Shannon airport is 50 miles down the road certainly did not scare away the executive. In large cities it can take an hour or an hour and a half to travel to and from an airport. The jewel in the crown for the companies is that one can get off a ship in Galway and walk safely into the city centre in five minutes. This is very rare.

Deputy Walsh is correct about John Killeen and the Volvo Ocean Race, which was an excellent success. I cannot comment on Dublin Port but I know it has had tank farms for a number of years. Due to the Seveso regulations it probably would not obtain planning permission if it were to take them down and rebuild them in the same spot. Certain rules on exclusion zones and residential units, hospitals and schools now exist with regard to the storage of petroleum. One of the terminals in Galway was demolished prior to the previous Volvo Ocean Race and the fact that the new Enwest terminal is further out to sea and away from the city has opened up some land. In order to open up much more land, including Galway Harbour Company land, land owned by other individuals and land owned by the State, it is essential that the operation of unloading ships moves away from the city.

The cost of the Enwest terminal was approximately €50 million and John Killeen was the project manager. As I stated earlier it is fully automated and trucks can load day or night 24-7. It can take all products including petroleum, kerosene and DERV.

With regard to where in the policy I see the place of the new and existing ports in Galway, it is a regional port and we accept it will not be a Shannon Foynes, Cork or Dublin. However, it has something to offer on the west coast serving Connacht and the midlands with the new motorways and infrastructure which has been put in place for the haulage of products to and from Galway. I would like Galway to feature strongly in the new ports policy. It is very important to the region.