Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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Question 31: To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the total expenditure in 2010 on consultants fees by the Dún Laoghaire Harbour Company; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that travel expenses are being paid to a board member for eight meetings per annum which cover travelling from the United Arab Emirates; in view of the fact that Dún Laoghaire Harbour Company is losing in the region of €10,000 per week, the savings if any that he thinks could be made by changing the status of the company from semi State to fully publicly owned; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26617/11]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy has asked a number of separate questions, which I will address in order. Dun Laoghaire Harbour Company's publically available annual accounts for 2010 detail that the company spent €230,000 on consultancy fees last year. As the Deputy is aware, the company is currently undergoing a major public consultation and Masterplanning process in relation to the future development of the harbour.

The accounts also disclose the fees and expenses paid to each individual director and confirm that the company fully complies with Department of Finance Travel and Subsistence regulations. As part of its oversight of the corporate governance of the port companies, my Department has sought explanations in the small number of cases where the expenses of Directors exceed the norm. In the case of Dun Laoghaire, the company have informed my Department that this arises because one of the directors resides outside of Dublin and receives travel expenses for attending meetings. However, I understand the matter the Deputy highlights has been resolved.

My Department also monitors closely the financial performance of the port companies and has recently received the accounts for the first half of the year from all the port companies, including Dun Laoghaire. The details of such accounts would be considered commercially sensitive, but I can inform the Deputy that the company remained profitable during the period. The State ports are currently structured into nine competing port companies. A review of ports policy is currently underway and I intend to publish a revised policy document as soon as possible. The current structure of port companies will be one of the issues addressed.

In terms of cost savings, Dun Laoghaire Harbour Company has already cut its costs substantially. I do not see that changing the status of the company will result in further savings per se. However, I am open to considering the merits and demerits of the transfer of the Port Company to Dun Laoghaire/Rathdown County Council as part of the forthcoming Ports Policy review, though I have no specific plans to pursue this option.