Jim Walsh (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

This is a meritorious amendment. We are taking a number of ports which, while they now account for only a small percentage of traffic into Ireland, accounted for a significantly greater proportion in the recent past. It is therefore imperative that they remain commercially focused and that they are there to provide competition, often to neighbouring ports. If I could extend the question in that regard, I presume the individual companies, if they are maintained and integrated into the local authorities as companies, will have to do their annual returns as port companies, which will outline all of that. Is there any requirement in the Bill - I cannot see it, but I have not read all 50 pages from cover to cover - for the companies, where they are integrated into the local authority, to issue some report that will show the commercial activities within the port and in particular what they are doing to improve the prospects and business through the port? Marketing should be a requirement for the local authority, as well as setting out its plans to increase traffic and commercial focus and to enhance the operation of the business.