Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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Question 7: To ask the Minister for Transport when he will bring the harbours Bill before Dáil Éireann in order to facilitate the plans of the Drogheda Port Company; if there will be separate legislation needed to establish Bremore Port; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24278/07]

Mary Upton (Dublin South Central, Labour)
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Question 54: To ask the Minister for Transport the stage the Government's comprehensive study of the role of Dublin Port which was to take account of locational considerations, in the context of overall ports policy on the island of Ireland, wider transport policy, urban development policy, the national spatial strategy and national economic policy are at; if he will bring forward a Green Paper on Dublin Port; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24258/07]

Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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Question 86: To ask the Minister for Transport if he will report on the recent decision to approve the development of a new €210 million port at Bremore, County Dublin; the expected capacity of the new Bremore development; the further feasibility, commercial and regulatory work that will be carried out on the Bremore project; the expected timeframe for the commencement and completion of Bremore; when he expects to receive Dublin City Council's land review of Dublin Port; if he will be issuing a Green Paper on the future of Dublin Port; the effect the Bremore Port plan will have on Dublin Port's capacity and its €40 million expansion plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24247/07]

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 7, 54 and 86 together.

It is my intention to give approval for Drogheda Port Company to enter into a joint venture agreement to develop a new port facility at Bremore in Fingal County, subject to enactment of necessary legislation. I am advised that an amendment to the Harbours Act 1996 is necessary to enable the port limits of the Drogheda Port Company to be extended to include Bremore and to enable me to convey approval of the joint venture agreement.

The joint venture proposal is in line with established ports policy. Subject to the necessary further feasibility, commercial and regulatory work, it also presents a unique opportunity to provide significant additional port capacity in a prime location on the east coast. It is intended to develop the new facility in a number of phases. The capacity of the first phase will be determined by the joint venture partners in the light of the further work referred to above, which has yet to be carried out.

Amendment of the Harbours Act 1996 will be necessary to enable the joint venture to be formalised, but the feasibility work I referred to can be put in hand in the meantime. More generally, the existing legislation is more than ten years old and requires updating. My Department has made substantial progress in preparing the heads of a new harbours Bill to further support implementation of ports policy and to update existing legislation. I propose to seek early Government approval for the drafting of the Bill and I intend to pursue its enactment as quickly as possible.

The joint venture will help to promote competition while relieving congestion at Dublin Port. This proposal is being advanced as a standalone project and is not dependent on, or linked to, any relocation of capacity from Dublin Port.

Earlier this month, Dublin City Council launched an eight week public consultation period on the report of its Dublin Bay study. That study's report looks at a wide range of economic, amenity, recreational and environmental issues linked to Dublin Bay, including the port area. The national development plan, NDP, indicates that the Government will undertake a comprehensive study of the role of Dublin Port, taking account of locational considerations, in the context of overall ports policy on the island of Ireland, wider transport policy, urban development policy, the national spatial strategy and national economic policy.

Dublin City Council has indicated that its Dublin Bay study is aimed at launching a public debate. The council will submit the findings of its report and any public submissions it receives thereon to me for consideration as part of the NDP study, which I intend to initiate shortly. I have no plans to issue a Green Paper on the future of Dublin Port.

Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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I welcome the announcement about the development of the new port at Bremore and I met the Minister a few years ago about this matter. I hope, however, that he has uppermost in his mind the traffic impact on the town of Balbriggan of a vast new port which is destined to become a significant small city. I support the last speaker's comments on this subject.

Will the Minister say categorically that he has no plans to move Dublin Port? He has decided that there will be no Green Paper but he is waiting for a report from Dublin City Council. Dublin Port, however, is the country's major port, through which 80% of its ro-ro traffic passes. It is vital to our trade that it continues to be healthy. Does the Minister agree with the chief executive, Enda Connellan, that the Irish Continental Group's 33 acre site in Dublin dock has no development value?

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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I thank Deputy Reilly for bringing me on a tour of his constituency and the various issues arising there. All the matters raised in respect of the ports, the abandonment of dredgers and so on, can be taken into account. Legislation exists to deal with these matters but is probably not effective. During the election campaign I was shown what is happening there. The harbours Bill will provide an opportunity for us to see if that can be improved.

Before a major port such as Bremore can be developed it must go through a full planning process which must take into account its effect on traffic and the neighbourhood generally. Unless there is sufficient road and rail infrastructure to the port there will be little point in providing it. I am interested in advancing the outer orbital route. It would be important from the economic and environmental points of view.

Dublin Port Company is a semi-State company that operates like other companies we have discussed and no doubt will discuss later, and makes its own decisions. I will not direct it on the commercial decisions it must make. The study aims to take into account the port and its place in Dublin. The Deputy is right to say that it is crucial to our economic growth and development. A significant amount of our trade goes through Dublin Port. It does, however, need further capacity but I do not intend to decide on its location.

Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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In other words, the Minister is not ruling anything in or out.

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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No. That is entirely up to the company.

Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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That is a cop out.