Andrew Doyle (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome Mr. Newsome. It is interesting to hear the questions asked and the level of surprise among contributors that the company has accounts in balance and that it has no extended debt or pension burden of any significance. As the chairman designate said, the port has managed to tread the water healthily while waiting for circumstances to improve. There is a lesson to be learned from that. Mr. Newsome says it is the best-kept secret. It certainly is but we just heard of Dublin City Council's best-kept secret, which we will have to investigate. If the agreement is on statute, it is on statute; it is as simple as that. We should examine the matter. The amount of water the council takes from Vartry Reservoir leaves the flow very small at times.

Wicklow Port is the only port in the country at which water, rail and road infrastructure meet at one point. When there is capacity overflow in Dublin, for example, Wicklow is regarded as a handy alternative. When business is tighter, business tends to be sucked back to the middle. As Mr. Newsome stated, the port ought to be competitive.

I have noticed an increase in the number of fishing vessels landing their catches in Wicklow. Has Mr. Newsome any figures on that? Are there any attempts at further development in this regard? Is there sufficient capacity to generate secondary employment or industry in this area? I refer to processing and marketing. A fish retail outlet opened on South Quay in the past 12 or 18 months.

Second, Mr. Newsome answered the question about the vessels' capacity, but what is the number of vessels inward and outward at the port? It is operating at a second level now, but what is its maximum potential if it could expand? Is it double, treble or quadruple? As a commercial port company, it would be interesting to know the amount of slack it can take up and its capacity to develop more business. I believe it is looking at other innovative businesses.