Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 212: To ask the Minister for Transport the date when it was decided to review port capacity and develop a strategy for the future; and when it is expected that this will be published. [9383/07]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 214: To ask the Minister for Transport the additional capacity which has been added to Ireland's seven national ports in the past six years; and his estimate of available spare capacity in each of the ports at present. [9385/07]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 212 and 214 together.

The Ports Policy Statement, which I launched in January 2005, 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 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 its conclusions were noted by the Government in July 2006. The broad conclusions of the report were published in an Information Paper, which is available on my Department's website at www.transport.ie.

With regard to spare capacity the report 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 ports operate in a competitive market, and therefore detailed information on the spare capacity at each port would be regarded as commercially sensitive information.

With regard to additional capacity that has been added to over the past six years, I can inform the Deputy that in total 10 port infrastructure projects have received funding to date under the Seaports Measure of the previous NDP 2000-2006. To date approximately €14.5 million of grant aid has been paid to these projects, following a competitive call for proposals. Further funding is still available in 2007 for eligible expenditure related to the approved projects.

In addition to these grant-aided projects, each of the ten port companies have also made significant investments from their own resources to develop their ports and increase capacity. These investments have facilitated a growth in tonnage throughput in the State's ports of 32% between 2000 and 2005 (CSO figures).