Pat Gallagher (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)

In regard to the Senator's first point, that is not the Bill's intention. Second, all harbour and port authorities, large and small, will be included in the provisions of the Bill.

By way of background, the objective of the Bill is to strengthen the currently inadequate local authority powers. The purpose of amendment No. 9 is to include Waterways Ireland within the definition of "authority" which is used as a convenient shorthand term when discussing the various powers, duties and functions provided to local authorities, harbour authorities and Waterways Ireland under the provisions of the Bill. The term "harbour authority" is similarly being redefined to include harbour authorities established under the Harbours Acts 1946 to 1976.

Waterways Ireland is one of the six North-South Implementation Bodies established under the British-Irish Agreement Act 1999. It has direct responsibility for the management, maintenance and development of the navigable waters of the island. Specifically, that covers the Royal Canal, the Grand Canal, the Barrow navigation and the southern part of the Shannon-Erne waterway.

When it was initiated in June last year, the Bill could not cover waters under the control or management of Waterways Ireland without agreement first being reached by means of the agreed structures of the North-South Ministerial Council. Agreement has since been achieved with the assistance of the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs. It is perhaps fortuitous that the Bill did not get through previously as we can now use it as a vehicle to include Waterways Ireland.