Denis O'Donovan (Fianna Fail)

Not that I am advocating this. I am relatively comfortable here despite the pressure I am under at the minute.

However, in future members of Cork County Council or other bodies will ask what is the point of having a board in Dublin. It is like a duck that is shot, still alive and limping and cannot fly. It will do huge damage to the process in which we have engaged. As well as this I can see a very difficult and tenuous situation in future where Cork Port at a distance — it is like being ruled from London and we spent 800 years trying to get free — will try to look after Bantry Bay 60 or 70 miles away.

We cannot lose sight of the fact that it is not just about the little pier in Bantry and the inner harbour. It also involves the Whiddy set up, tourist related issues and fishing in Bantry Bay. The existing harbour board Act established that the harbour authority for Bantry Bay incorporates and encapsulates the entire bay of Bantry bar the inner harbour in Castletownbere.

I wrote out a few notes to try to grapple with ideas prior to coming here. I need to know why the Department, the Minister of State or his predecessors in title reneged — that is the word although it is strong — on a solemn written pledge to the Bantry Bay Harbour Commissioners on the issues of due diligence and prior consultation. A pledge was given and it was clear and unequivocal. If I am here until next Christmas Day on this issue, if the Whip and the House allow me, I can never accept the notion that the Bill can be put in place as enabling legislation. While we may not put it into effect one will go along with one's hand tied behind one's back into any consultation that takes place after its introduction and already be a lame duck because the legislation is in place. Instead of enabling legislation I call it disabling legislation. I want to emphasise this.

Will the Minister of State comment on the issue of due diligence? I posed a number of questions and if the Minister of State can enlighten me and answer them I will give him the freedom to do so now.