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

I believe it enhances the Bill to have specific provisions that recognise the particularities and the uniqueness of particular ports because although this Bill groups together a number of ports within a particular tier, when one considers the ports under discussion and when one hears some of the contributions made on the ports affected by this Bill, it still is the case that there is considerable diversity in that group of ports. There are different histories, strengths and weaknesses, as well as all sorts of factors to do with location, etc., including the current balance of activities, commercial, recreational and so on, in each port. These specific amendments to do with Dún Laoghaire are being tabled with reference to the specific character of Dún Laoghaire and what I am reasonably confident in stating is the majority-held view about the way forward for Dún Laoghaire. I genuinely do not say this in a presumptuous way because although I did not attend the An Bord Pleanála hearing every day - I also was obliged to be in and out of the Dáil - I spent three or four weeks at that hearing. It was a highly informative gathering at which more than 130 submissions were made by individuals, groups, stakeholders, that is, by everybody really. It was a significant number and the fact the hearing went on for four weeks tells its own story. Originally, the An Bord Pleanála hearing on the application was due to take place over a couple of weeks but it went on for four weeks, such was the level of engagement by a wide variety of groups. There also was a major engagement with the county development plan. Incidentally, it is worth noting the spirit of these amendments is echoed to some extent by the decisions the elected members made recently in the context of putting together the draft development plan. For example, councillors have voted that cruise ships longer than 250 m should not go into Dún Laoghaire. This is what the majority of councillors have voted on and that reflects what I consider to be the majority opinion in the wider Dún Laoghaire area. Indeed, that decision by the elected councillors is an example of democracy working because members of the public expressed their views at public meetings and in lobbying and in engaging with their local representatives and so on. The local representatives of all parties and none listened to that and made a decision that I believe reflects what people do and do not want for the harbour. This is how democracy should work and what these opinions have indicated clearly is that people are not happy with the corporate subsidiary structure, which previously was under the aegis of the Minister's Department but which will move to Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council. One option that is set out in this Bill essentially will leave that company corporate entity structure in place, albeit now with a new owner, namely, the council. This, to put it simply, is not what people want. They want that structure to be dissolved in order that the harbour comes fully under council control.

I believe the Minister stated that were my view on this issue to prevail, he would look forward to how those with that view would be able to work out how to finance the maintenance and development of the harbour. I would put the shoe on the other foot, as I believe a lot of money is being wasted because of the existing structure. I estimate that if one looks at the accounts, there probably is approximately half a million euro per year going on executive salaries which it would not be necessary to spend were the harbour a fully integrated part of the council itself. The front-line employees, such as the harbour police and the maintenance workers, simply would be transferred into the council and would become council employees, which I believe is what they want, and would retain their existing conditions and so on, as allowed for by the Bill and that is fine. However, the harbour board and harbour executive structure is a cost one cannot stand over or justify. I have had many engagements with the Minister and his predecessor about bonuses, salaries and so on.

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