Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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20. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport in view of the recent resignation of a person (details supplied), an accountant and auditor, from the Dún Laoghaire Harbour Company in County Dublin, due to concerns over financial matters, and the numerous questions that have been raised with regard to overpayment of expenses and other irregularities, if he considers it is time to dissolve the company and take it back under the aegis of his Department pending the new legislation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23479/15]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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The drafting of the Harbours Bill, 2015 is complete and I expect to seek Government approval to publish it very shortly.

The Bill will provide the legislative basis for one of the National Ports Policy's key recommendations, namely that governance of the designated Ports of Regional Significance should vest in more appropriate local authority led governance structures. As the Deputy is aware, Dun Laoghaire is one of these five Ports of Regional Significance.

The Bill is designed to provide maximum legislative flexibility. It will not prescribe the model of transfer but instead will allow for the most appropriate model of governance to be chosen in respect of each individual company.  The two possible models of transfer provided in the Bill are:  

1. Retention of the existing company structure and transfer of the Ministerial shareholding in the company to the local authority; or

2. Dissolution of the existing company structure and transfer of all assets, liabilities and employees into local authority structures, where the port will be administered as a functional area of the local authority.

Dun Laoghaire Harbour Company and Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council have established an engagement team to discuss the practical issues associated with the transfer and consultants have been appointed to undertake a due diligence process, with the funding support of the Department. This exercise may assist in the decision as to the most suitable model of transfer.  

It is important that a secure and acceptable plan is developed for the future of Dun Laoghaire. The enactment of the legislation, and the process I have outlined above, will be essential to this.