Ned O'Sullivan (Fianna Fail)

The Acting Chairman, Senator Coghlan, is intimately acquainted with Fenit and is aware that its future will be as a leisure-fishing port. There is an important industry operating there which, I am sure, is close to the Acting Chairman's heart. Other than that, however, the main activities carried out there are by those who fish for a living and those involved in tourism angling. In recent years, Fenit has become an important tourism centre. Activity relating to the latter has centred on the town's marina on which €4 million was expended in the past five or six years. I spoke to the chairman of the Fenit Harbour board, Councillor Johnny Wall, this morning and he indicated that the board has put together a submission in respect of the further development of activities at the marina. Overall, there will be a need for an investment of an additional €8 million in Fenit.

The review of State regional ports and harbours indicates that there is a great future for the marine tourism industry in this country. It points out that Fenit has a 100-berth marina at present and that this is capable of accommodating boats of sizes ranging from six to 15 metres. The review also points out that there is one berth capable of catering for vessels of 30 metres and over. It further states that the harbour attracted 123 visiting yachts, mainly from Britain, France and the domestic market, in 1998, that the potential for marine tourism and leisure development at Fenit is medium to high and that its principle attraction — the marina — is running at a very high level of demand at present. It goes on to point out that there is definite demand for additional berthing space. The review to which I refer also indicates that proposed project would include a hotel, apartments, a leisure centre, conference facilities, language laboratories and computer workshops. There is already a marine centre located at Fenit and this attracts interest from schools tours, etc.

We are, therefore, discussing two completely different operations. There is no way a commercial port could do anything but suffer if it were obliged to take responsibility for a tourism port such as Fenit.

The one major industry which operates at Fenit, namely, Liebherr Cranes, has been an extremely important contributor to the economy of Kerry. The Acting Chairman, who lives in Killarney, will be aware of that fact. This company's balance sheet is in good order and, despite the recession, its order book for the next five years would be the envy of many others. Liebherr Cranes is committed to Fenit and will be able to use additional storage space there if the harbour board is able to acquire same, which it is attempting to do at present. This is an extremely strong company with a bright future and it will, in effect, pay the bills of the harbour board and allow it to develop the type of facilities to which I referred earlier.

Why stymie something that is a success? Why try to fix something that is not broken? Having listened to Senator O'Donovan during the hours, days and weeks over which this debate has taken place, I am of the view that the situation vis-À-vis Bantry and Cork is identical. The Minister of State has a difficult job to do and the debate on the Bill is taking up much more of his time than he would have anticipated. However, it is important to get matters right. Given that the Bill was introduced in the Seanad, it is only proper that we should get it right before it is sent to the Lower House where someone might engage in an even more concentrated and forensic attack on it than has Senator O'Donovan.