Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Question 207: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources his plans to develop marine related activities on the Shannon Estuary (details supplied). [22983/05]

Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Question 208: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the details of any negotiations he has had with the ESB on usage of the deep water port at Moneypoint, County Clare, for other marine based activities including the long standing proposal to develop a transhipment business; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22984/05]

Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Question 209: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources his plans to have negotiations with the ESB on usage of the deep water jetty at Moneypoint, County Clare, for other marine based activities including the long standing proposal to development a transhipment business; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22985/05]

Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Question 210: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the details of the shipping traffic at the Moneypoint jetty in County Clare, including dates, for each of the past five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22986/05]

Pat Gallagher (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 207 to 210, inclusive, together.

Shannon Foynes Port Company is established and operates under the Harbours Act 1996. The Act provides that the principal objectives of the company include the management, control, operation and development of its harbour. Moneypoint jetty is owned and operated by ESB and handles mainly coal shipments for the electricity generating station at Moneypoint. The Department does not keep records of movements within individual ports. I have asked Shannon Foynes Port Company, within whose jurisdiction the facility lies, to forward the relevant information to the Deputy.

In January this year, I launched the Government's ports policy statement. The policy statement aims to better equip the port sector and its stakeholders to meet national and regional capacity and service needs. One of the key challenges that lies ahead is the provision of adequate in-time port capacity, particularly for unitised trade. The policy statement sets out a framework to ensure that capacity needs are identified, planned and progressed in a co-ordinated manner.

As an initial step, the Department has sought information from the commercial ports which handle unit load cargo on key projects identified by them as essential to deal with anticipated capacity deficiencies to 2014 and beyond and whether the ports see these as being funded from their own resources or in partnership with the private sector. In its response to this request, Shannon Foynes Port Company has provided information to the Department concerning its proposal for the development of a new container transhipment terminal on the lower reaches of the Shannon Estuary. The timeframe for the proposed development and the preparation of a detailed business plan are matters for Shannon Foynes Port Company in the first instance.

As indicated in the ports policy statement, it is intended to prioritise a range of projects catering for unitised traffic at our commercial ports from an overall economic national and regional perspective, as opposed to the perceived requirements of individual ports. To that end, the Department will procure expert and independent assistance from consultants to refine the criteria to be used for project evaluation, to draw up a uniform template for submission of detailed project proposals and to subsequently evaluate and rank the projects submitted as a basis for the Department's recommendation to Government. An invitation to tender for this consultancy is expected to be issued shortly.

The Department has no funds in its budget for the development of additional marine leisure facilities in the estuary.