Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)

I am well aware these investments have to stand up commercially. It is up to the ports to make the investments. However, the Minister for Transport is responsible for making broad strategic decisions about where capacity will be provided. When the Minister spoke earlier about buses, he said he was great at making decisions and that we would be hopeless at making decisions. He is the world's greatest ever procrastinator. The reality is that decisions on port capacity and, in particular, container capacity in ports have been postponed indefinitely. Many reports and policy statements have been published, but no policies have been outlined. Policy frameworks have been promised and the Fisher report has been completed, but no decisions have been taken. As a result, no strategic direction for the ports has been indicated. Is the Minister aware that the growth in capacity requirement that was originally envisaged by the Government is just half the level of growth that is anticipated by IBEC? When will the Minister make some kind of strategic direction known? Putting something on a website is not the same as making a policy decision or taking the kind of proactive position that is expected of the Government. The Minister and Ministers of State in the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, who have joined the Taoiseach on many occasions when he has gone around the world to tout for trade, are aware that our ports cannot accommodate an increased level of trade.

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