John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The figure represents the cost of vessel lifts. The work to vessels is carried out by contractors, not the harbour. Having said that, on the day the committee visited, it was quite clear that the yard was not operating to its full capability. Contractors are also not being catered for in a way that one would expect to generate further business and prevent business from moving elsewhere. It appears that in providing the information the underlining difficulty is being ignored - the attitude to the development of Howth Harbour.

With regard to the individuals in business whom we met at Howth there are significant questions regarding a number of matters that we need to deal with in the context of our report. While that may be the response of the Department it certainly falls way short of what is required with regard to the response that the business people in that locality are asking for. From looking at the different sites there the response falls far short of what a commercial operator might do in terms of the development of Howth. There are lots of issues still to be dealt with and we can deal with these issues in the context of the report and raise the fact that there are many other issues at ports around the country of which we are aware. Although it is in court now, the John Shine case is a typical example of how the State ignores the efforts of a businessman to conduct his business and at the same time to resolve issues. It is no way to carry on a business, in my view. The State has a lot to learn from the commercial world which it seems to continue to ignore.

How long will it take for the report to be compiled?