Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

I will be somewhat parochial as well, not in a hostile way to other ports, but just because Dún Laoghaire harbour is what I know about. Some of the issues are also of more general resonance. I very much welcome the move to put these ports under local authority control, certainly in Dún Laoghaire's case it is something I have urged for a while. It was very unclear what the harbour's objective was, and putting it under local authority control clarifies somewhat what we see as its objective. However I still have a lot of questions and I am interested to hear what people have to say.

For example, the Minister has indicated that a choice confronts us when we move a port under local authority control, in that it should either be fully under local authority control or be a corporate subsidiary. Some speakers have suggested that it should be the corporate subsidiary model with a strong commercial focus. I will be honest, in that I do not favour that option, although I would like to hear the witnesses' responses. The point of claiming a port is of regional significance is that it is an important part of our regional infrastructure. As such, to judge or run it on the basis of a narrow commercial mandate instead of recognising that its contribution is of regional significance to its town and region is to miss the point. This port will make a contribution to Dún Laoghaire and all of the region - the situation elsewhere is similar - that cannot be quantified on the company's balance sheets. If we do not understand this, we are missing the point. This is how to get the balance.

This brings me to the issue of governance structures, in which regard I am particularly interested in hearing what the Dún Laoghaire delegation has to say. The overwhelming feeling in Dún Laoghaire is that the Dún Laoghaire Harbour Company has been a law unto itself and is insulated from the local community's opinions on what is the right way to develop the harbour so that it might complement and contribute to the town and local area. It has managed to alienate its own workforce spectacularly to the point of there being legal cases, industrial relations issues, etc. What does the council have to say about this matter? What will be the workers' status? Some protection has been afforded to those who are subject to previous terms and conditions under the Harbours Act, but will new employees be treated as council employees? The council has asked questions about whether its elected members or executive will be in charge. The Minister will have considerable powers under Part II's head 11, in that he can issue directions. Will the show be run by the council's executive or elected members or can it all be overridden by ministerial directive? We need clarity and more democratic control, that is, a greater emphasis on elected members, public participation and people with expertise in the various fields in which the harbour operates. All of these harbours seem to operate a balance of different interests. They are working harbours, amenity harbours and, in many cases, heritage harbours, to name just three of the legs on which they stand. We need experts in these areas as well as people who are accountable to and heedful of the local community in terms of how they balance these aspects and pursue objectives.

In Dún Laoghaire's case, many bad mistakes have been made in this regard. The terminal on the Carlisle pier, including a train station that was of historic significance for the entire country because it was one of the main exit points of the diaspora, was knocked down. This was a disastrous decision. If I remember correctly, there was not even permission to knock it down. There is a major controversy surrounding the plan to put a floating swimming pool off the east pier. There is no public mandate for that. How many master plans have we had for the Dún Laoghaire Harbour Company? We have had plans for ten-storey apartment blocks on the Carlisle pier and new housing developments in the harbour. None of these has come to anything, yet they have wasted hundreds of thousands of euro.

Will we have a governance structure that genuinely listens to the local community and regional interests and is sensitive to the regional and local importance of the harbour instead of a structure that is a law unto itself and has a narrow commercial mandate? If the company is seen in the latter terms, it will not be able to sustain itself. This belief is borne out by the fact that the company is making a loss. We must understand the situation in a different context if we are to make it work.