Denis O'Donovan (Fianna Fail)

My apologies to the Minister. I left the House to get a message, presuming there would be a vote but that did not happen. Bantry Harbour has a viable harbour board, which is self-sufficient in that it costs the State little or no money. I am a former member of the board. There has been a sizeable income for the harbour board for the past 15 or 20 years, primarily due to the input of funds from ConocoPhillips. There was a proposal from the Minister's predecessor, Noel Dempsey, to amalgamate Bantry Port with Cork. I resisted this because of my knowledge of Bantry Bay and the area. Former and current members of Cork Port inform me that they do not want the proposal to take place. Apart from Whiddy Island, there are many intricacies in Bantry. It is designated as a tourist hub, there is inshore fishing and fish farming in the bay. Garnish Island is nearby and people are living on Whiddy Ireland. The Bantry Harbour Board area comprises 80% of Bantry Bay, from Bere Island to Ardnagashel and across the bay.

Bantry Harbour board was set up because of an appalling oil spillage in the bay in 1974. The then Minister, Peter Barry, decided to set up a harbour board because of shipping and the oil reserves on Whiddy Ireland. The board has been run successfully and much money has been spent within the harbour board area by the existing board. The board provided a slipway on Whiddy Ireland, with support from the council and the Government, and a slipway on the mainland. For the first time in my life, there is a roll-on roll-off service onto the island, which can be used by an ambulance or a fire brigade. Having been in town on the night of the Whiddy Ireland disaster, I remember the appalling loss of life and that many mistakes were made. On the basis of providing funds or providing a proper service for the island, ConocoPhillips, shipping in the bay and tourism services, including yachting, there is a mixed grill of facilities in the bay.

Bantry Harbour is self-financing and should stand alone on its merits. When I was a member of the harbour board, we were presented with the option of being taken over by Cork County Council, going down the road of corporatisation - which was my preference - or being taken over by Cork Port. The views of the people in the area, by a large majority, and the near-unanimous view of the harbour board members over the past 20 years is that the least acceptable option is to succumb to Cork Port taking over the board. There may be good commercial reasons for it. I had a four and a half hour debate, which some may call filibustering, where I took issue with the former Minister, Noel Dempsey, about the port authority and a compromise was reached whereby there would be full and proper consultation with the inshore fishermen, the islanders, the tourism organisations and other facets of Bantry Bay before that should happen. Bantry Bay is a unique harbour and I am sure the Minister is aware of the situation. I am worried that the same catalyst for change that existed four years ago is still in the Department. The proposal to amalgamate harbours works in some cases and does not in others, but Bantry is unique. I urge the Minister to leave us as we are. The notion of being taken over by Cork Port is the least acceptable option and one that will be strongly resisted, even by Deputies and councillors of the Government parties.