Dessie Ellis (Dublin North West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

By and large the Harbours Bill 2015 is a good Bill. The transfer of control of the five designated ports of regional significance as well as the future transfer of other ports to the local authorities is good. I have an issue, which echoes a point made by Deputy Boyd Barrett on the executive powers of the chief executive. We have experience in the past of the Dublin city manager overriding the views of councillors. I believe the local councillors are best placed to make judgments. I accept there could be inputs from different groups. Groups, such as residents, people in the community and business people should be able to make an input, but the local authority councillors should have the main say. In my view that is the way it should be done.

In general the proposed transfers are reasonable.