Victor Boyhan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I wish to raise one simple issue relating to the national harbour and ports policy. The policy document now covers national ports and harbours throughout the country. The document has gone through a number of Ministers. Most recently, the responsible Ministers in the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport have been Deputy Varadkar, Deputy Paschal Donohoe and now Deputy Shane Ross.

Fundamental changes have been made to the national harbour and ports policy. A decision was made to take a number of ports termed as being of regional significance out of the control of the Department. This so happens to fall under the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport. This is where the Minister, Deputy Shane Ross, comes in.The transitional period has not been smooth, with the single exception of Wicklow. I stand open to correction on that.

I am very familiar with Dún Laoghaire Harbour Company because I was a director there for ten years. It is important that the Minister, Deputy Ross, come before the House to explain the status of the roll-out of the national ports policy and, more importantly, his failure to appoint directors to vacancies on a number of ports within his remit. I want to give the Minister an opportunity to come in and be questioned about the matter rather than to read every week in The Sunday Business Postabout the 30 or 40 appointments relating to his brief that have never been made for some peculiar reason or about somebody taking the moral high ground. I want an opportunity to ask him questions in this Chamber. It is very important. I also want to find out about due diligence. There is very expensive due diligence going on in a number of ports with regard to the preparation of this and yet there seems to be no action. Why is it that three Ministers with responsibility for harbours have failed to proceed with the transfer of harbours, which is Government policy? It is really important to have the Minister, Deputy Ross, in here early to explain the issues. In particular, I want to make reference to Dún Laoghaire Harbour Company, which has four vacancies on its board. The harbour is falling apart so it is really important that the Minister comes before the House to outline when he will sign the necessary documentation for the transfer of the port from the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport to Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council.