Bernard Allen (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 71: To ask the Minister for Transport his plans in place to increase port capacity nationally; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35798/06]

Pat Gallagher (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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While the Government, both as shareholder and policy maker, has a clear interest in ensuring the provision of adequate, cost effective port capacity for our growing economy, the development of the necessary capital projects is primarily a matter for the individual port companies and their boards. This is in line with the commercial mandate given to the port companies under the Harbours Act 1996.

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. One of the key challenges that lie ahead is the provision of adequate in-time port capacity, particularly for unitised trade (LoLo and RoRo). The Policy Statement sets out a framework to ensure that capacity needs are identified, planned and progressed in a coordinated manner.

As part of this process, in September 2005 my Department appointed a firm of consultants expert in this field, Fisher Associates, to help determine whether 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 various proposals currently under development in the sector.

Detailed submissions outlining proposals for new capacity for unitised trade were received from the following seven ports and evaluated by Fisher Associates: Cork, Greenore, Dublin, Drogheda, Rosslare, Shannon Foynes and Waterford.

The final report of Fisher Associates was completed in June 2006 and in July 2006 the Government noted its conclusions. An Information Paper outlining the broad conclusions of the report was published recently on www.transport.gov.ie.

In summary, the study concludes that there is currently significant available capacity for LoLo traffic at Irish ports. Current available capacity for RoRo traffic also exists, although less so than in the case of LoLo. The conclusions of the study clearly demonstrate that the projects being progressed by the ports sector have the potential to deliver adequate capacity going forward, in line with the Government's Ports Policy.

My Department will closely monitor the progress of these proposals, and for its part will certainly do what is necessary to ensure the statutory and other corporate governance requirements are dealt with expeditiously.