Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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Question 166: To ask the Minister for Transport if he will report on future strategy for Dublin Port; if the recent policy announcement by the Progressive Democrats of the removal of Dublin Port is official Government policy; his plans for the looming deficit in capacity at Irish ports; the position regarding the development of the new Bremore Port and the impact this will have on jobs and capacity in other ports; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3132/06]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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In January 2005, when responsibility for ports policy was in the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, the Minister of State with responsibility for the marine 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 coordinated manner.

As an initial step in this process, the Department consulted with the commercial ports handling unitised trade, to determine their view of port capacity and how they intended to deal with the projected capacity requirement. Both Dublin Port Company and Drogheda Port Company responded in this regard with information on their project proposals.

In addition, in September 2005, the Department appointed a firm of consultants expert in this field, Fisher Associates, to, inter alia, invite detailed project submissions from the commercial ports and evaluate those submissions with a view to the Department's recommendations to Government. As part of this process the Department expects submissions from both Dublin Port Company and Drogheda Port Company with regard to their capacity plans.

The purpose of this process is to satisfy the Government that the anticipated capacity requirement to 2014 and beyond can be efficiently and adequately met through the successful advancement and implementation by the port sector of some combination of the key projects referred to above. The Government expects that market forces will decide which projects or combination of projects are completed.

Drogheda Port Company has a well publicised proposal to develop a new port facility at Bremore in north County Dublin. Drogheda Port Company updated my officials on the progress of this project at meetings in December 2005 and January 2006.

In addition, I am informed that, on Friday last, 27 January 2006, Drogheda Port Company published a notice in the national and international press seeking joint venture partners in the project. The company is aware that any such joint venture would require my consent, in line with the requirements of the Department of Finance code of practice for the governance of State bodies.

On 15 December last, the Progressive Democrats launched a discussion document entitled, A New Heart for Dublin. According to the document it is intended to fuel debate and it invites submissions from interested parties.