Denis Naughten (Longford-Roscommon, Fine Gael)
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Question 61: To ask the Minister for Transport his views in respect of the relocation of Dublin Port; if this is Government policy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35822/06]

Ciarán Cuffe (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)
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Question 78: To ask the Minister for Transport if he has carried out an analysis on the possible relocation of activities from the Dublin south port to allow for future developments to take place in this area. [35857/06]

Pat Gallagher (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 61 and 78 together.

As I indicated in (i) response to Parliamentary Question No. 155 of 3 May 2006 and (ii) a Seanad Éireann Adjournment Debate of 27 June 2006, my Department has no proposals to move Dublin Port from its current location.

Dublin Port is a State-owned company established under the Harbours Act 1996. The Act provides that the company is required to take all proper measures for the management, control, operation and development of its harbour. Decisions regarding the use of the land within the port estate are primarily a matter for the port company and its board. Changes to the use of land may also require planning permission.

The Government's Ports Policy Statement, which I launched early last year, aims to better equip the port sector and its stakeholders to meet national and regional capacity and service needs. It recognises that one of the key challenges that lie ahead is the provision of adequate in-time port capacity, particularly for unitised trade (LoLo and RoRo).

Dublin Port is the country's premier port in terms of throughput and turnover, and as such is of vital strategic importance to our trading economy. Dublin Port currently handles some 76% of the State's RoRo trade and some 59% of the LoLo trade.

My Department recently published the broad conclusions of a study it commissioned to determine whether national port capacity requirements could be met adequately by a combination of projects currently being planned and progressed by the ports sector.

As part of this study, submissions were received from seven ports around the country with expansion plans, including Dublin Port Company. Dublin Port Company outlined proposals both to increase capacity at some of its existing container terminals and to build new terminals as part of its proposal to reclaim 21 hectares of foreshore.

Drogheda Port Company also made a submission regarding a separate proposal to build a new multi-purpose port at Bremore, in north County Dublin. The Bremore proposal is being advanced by Drogheda Port Company as a stand-alone project and is not dependent or linked to any relocation of activities in Dublin Port.

The National Spatial Strategy does identify strategic merit in relieving pressure on Dublin Port through targeted interventions in building up port capacity elsewhere. The recent study concludes that all the projects are generally consistent with the objectives of the National Spatial Strategy. All projects are located in or close to the five main gateways and six of the seven are outside Dublin city.

The focus of the Government's Port Policy is on national capacity issues. I have not carried out analysis specifically on Dublin south port. I am aware that in January 2005, Dublin City Council launched a Framework Plan for the Poolbeg peninsula. The plan sets out a vision for the peninsula, which includes extensive residential and other development on lands owned by, among others, Dublin Port Company. Dublin Port Company made a submission to the Council outlining its objections to the framework plan.

I also understand that the City Council is currently commissioning a wide ranging economic, amenity/recreational and environmental study of Dublin Bay, including the port area, with the aim of identifying and agreeing with key stakeholders, a guiding framework for its future overall development.