Paschal Donohoe (Fine Gael)

On some of the points that have been raised by my colleagues, I want to stress in particular that the need to put public consultation on a statutory footing was identified by the amendments I put forward on Report Stage. That is a key point I want to emphasise. We have had very long and important discussions as regards whether these authorities should be abolished, how they should work with each other and the power this Bill would confer on the Minister for Transport to do this.

I put on the record earlier my observation that it did not appear to me there was a clear-cut case for the abolition of the different port authorities that we discussed. I identified what I believe to be the way forward, that is, to put public consultation on a statutory footing and spell out how that should be done. That was the amendment I tabled on Report Stage. On foot of the Minister of State committing to come forward with more detailed amendments as regards how this could be done, I offered to withdraw mine, which I did. I want to put that on the record of the House. It is not a case of the Department of Transport looking into its heart and making an enormous leap forward in terms of generosity and innovation as regards these amendments. It is, however, the case that I and my colleagues here identified the need for public consultation. We put forward an amendment and then withdrew it because a commitment was made to do the same thing in a more detailed and specific manner. That is what has been done in the amendment here.

Senator McCarthy has already made the point, with which I concur, that the power remains for these authorities to be abolished. It seems to me the exercise of that power in the future would be a bad thing, but at least in the amendments we have secured that the path to such a decision, in the event, will be more transparent and the public at large and its representatives will have an opportunity for an input.