Ivor Callely (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)
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Question 181: To ask the Minister for Transport the measures which have been taken to investigate the development of alternative ports in order to accommodate increased demand and activity in the greater Dublin area and to remove the requirement for reclamation of the Dublin Bay area. [12594/06]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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A process is currently underway in my Department to examine future port capacity requirements, particularly for unitised trade. This process arises from the Government's ports policy statement published in January 2005. The statement identified the provision of adequate port capacity as a key challenge for the future and set out a framework to ensure that capacity needs are identified, planned and progressed in a co-ordinated manner.

In September 2005, the Department appointed a firm of consultants expert in this field, Fisher Associates, to invite detailed project submissions from the commercial ports with unitized trade expansion plans and to evaluate the submissions. Fisher Associates has recently received seven submissions from ports around the country. A number of these were from ports on the east coast that currently serve the greater Dublin area. These submissions are being evaluated and it is intended to finalise the report over the coming months.

The purpose of this process is to provide reassurance to the Government that the anticipated capacity requirement for our growing economy will be met through the successful advancement and implementation by the port sector of some combination of the various proposals currently under development in the sector.

Ivor Callely (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)
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Question 182: To ask the Minister for Transport if a map of the ownership of the land banks in Dublin Port and the Dublin Bay area will be supplied; and the areas of ambiguity regarding ownership. [12595/06]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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The ownership of land within Dublin Port's estate is an operational matter for Dublin Port Company, a State-owned company with a statutory commercial mandate. With regard to the ownership of land in general in the Dublin Bay area, the Land Registry and Registry of Deeds is responsible for the registration of property transactions in Ireland.