Fiona O'Malley (Dún Laoghaire, Progressive Democrats)
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Question 243: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the reason he will abolish user representation on future ports, as stated in the ports policy of January 2005; and if he will reconsider this proposal. [18184/05]

Pat Gallagher (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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In May 2003, the high level review of the State commercial ports operating under the Harbours Acts, 1996 to 2000, was published. This was the first review undertaken since enactment of the Harbours Act, 1996. This legislation removed Ireland's key ports from direct departmental control and gave them the commercial freedom to operate as modern customer-service oriented service industries. The remit of the review was to critically examine the current model for the governance of the State commercial ports.

On foot of the publication of the review, a comprehensive consultation process was initiated, which involved interested parties making both written and oral submissions relating to future ports policy. The responses received informed the content and recommendations of the Government's policy statement on ports.

In January 2005, I launched the ports policy statement. It aims to better equip the port sector and its stakeholders to meet national and regional capacity and service needs. The policy statement includes the following key elements: clearer and more focussed commercial mandates for the ports and their boards; encouragement of private sector investment and involvement; sanction for the use of non-core assets to fund new port development but not to mask inefficiencies; encouragement of healthy competitive conditions within and between ports; better consultation and dispute resolution between port companies and users through appropriate information sharing and arbitration mechanisms.

In the section headed "Port Company Boards", the policy statement indicates that the appointment of port users to the boards of the commercial State port companies can lead to conflicts of interest and, in line with the recommendation of the high level review, it is intended that this process will cease with regard to all future appointments.