Tom Morrissey (Progressive Democrats)

I welcome the Minister of State to the House to take this matter relating to Dublin Port and Dublin Bay. I may have tabled this matter previously asking for discussions in the Seanad.

Only last week, I visited Dublin Port as a member of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Transport at the request of its management, following on from a presentation to our committee on 29 November. To my amazement, Dublin Port is still insisting on and, more importantly, expecting that the Government will make a decision on granting a licence to fill in a further 52 acres of Dublin Bay, thereby increasing the overall area of Dublin Port.

Any layman could visit Dublin Port, look at the figures shown to us on the growth in ro-ro and lo-lo operations at Dublin Port over the past ten years and consider how this is expected to grow continuously in the coming years. A simple question cannot be answered, however. With all the unitised trade coming into Dublin, is it really expected the extra traffic will be churned out to the M50, even when that road is upgraded?

More importantly, the port is seeking 52 acres of infill because it wants deeper berthing facilities. Deeper berthing ships will have Magnum containers, a large type of container which cannot fit through the tunnel. On one side we have a constraint at the end of the port as the M50 and our national road network cannot take those trucks. Looking at the increase in trade expected in this economy over the next number of years, I do not believe it is feasible for us to bring such trucks on to the M50 on a regular basis.

There is an alternative based on European and worldwide best practice. We should now take the decision to relocate the industrial port activity from Dublin Port. If this is not done, it is likely a new port will be developed in any event at Bremore called Bremore Ireland Port, which will be made possible by Drogheda Port relocating to north County Dublin. If that occurs, the market will dictate there will be another smaller port north of Dublin. At the same time Dublin Port will increase its capacity.

It would be better if a Department strategy was devised to deal with the issue. When the committee left Dublin Port last week, the authorities asked that we bring closure to the issue of whether they will get the 52 acres for infill in Dublin Bay. As we know, the authorities have been asking for this for 30 years, with the matter being hopped back and forth from the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources to Dublin City Council. There is a question of whether planning permission or a foreshore licence is required first.

The ports are now under the remit of the Department of Transport and it is time the Department developed a strategy to deal with our imports and exports. There is a requirement that this be brought to a conclusion. We may allow capacity to be continually increased, although the chief executive has stated that even if the increase were allowed, the port would again reach capacity in 20 years. Is a 20-year horizon good planning, and what will be done at the end of that period in any event?

For the sake of the life of Dublin city, there should be a decision taken that Dublin Port will not be allowed to fill in a further 52 acres. Where does the Department stand on the issue?