Paddy Burke (Fine Gael)

I thank Senator Coghlan for sharing time with me. I also welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Devins. I welcome the Bill but I am amazed at some aspects of it. I do not like the provision for the transfer of functions from the Minister for Transport to An Bord Pleanála in the context of the compulsory acquisition of land by a port company. That is a major power. I cannot understand why the Minister would not give that power to the local authority in question. If the Minister with responsibility for the marine had given power to the local authority rather than a private company we would not have the long debacle we have had on our hands with Shell in north Mayo in recent years. That considerable power is being handed over to unelected people. The Minister should reconsider and vest the power to compulsorily acquire land in local authorities.

The Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government gave away nearly all of his powers when he gave away harbours, ports and transport to the Department of Transport. His role is considerably diminished now. The Minister for Transport is now giving away further powers. I am not too happy with the position vis-À-vis public representatives. We are told the Minister cannot intervene in companies such as CIE, the Health Service Executive and the National Roads Authority because power is vested in them and they are a law unto themselves. However, nearly every county development plan in the country has been altered by the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. On the one hand, we give away power and say the Minister cannot intervene in the Health Service Executive, the National Roads Authority, CIE, etc., but on the other hand, the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government can interfere willy-nilly in the affairs of local authorities. Instead of having locally elected people, those with no electoral accountability are being put in charge. In the case of the Health Service Executive the Minister removed locally elected people from the boards.

I am not enamoured of the change that has taken place and that has been presided over by Fianna Fáil in government in the recent years. I urge the Minister of State to convey my views to the Minister for Transport and to consider the case for the appointment of public representatives to harbour boards. I fail to understand why they should not be appointed to such boards, as they are elected and accountable and they have done a magnificent job in the past, yet we are now passing legislation to vest the power in unelected people. I urge the Minister to examine the matter prior to Committee Stage.