Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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420. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if his attention has been drawn to the circumstances in a matter (details supplied); the reason an elected official whose election was validated by the returning officer and company secretary has been refused letter of appointment as a director of a port company; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19881/18]

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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The Harbours Act 2015 introduced changes in legislation in line with Government policy and to strengthen and improve corporate governance arrangements for port company boards, including the introduction of a 10-year limit on the period served by a director of a port company.

Section 30(6) of the Harbours Act 1996, as substituted by section 39 of the Harbours Act 2015, provides that a person shall not serve as a director of a port company for a period that is longer than 10 years in total. This applies equally to all directors of port companies, including employee directors.

The Harbours Act 2015 was signed into law on 25 December 2015. Accordingly the 10-year limit applies to all directors of port companies from that date forward, including serving directors at the time of enactment.

In 2017, employee director elections were held in a number of the port companies. In the case of the port referenced by the Deputy, the employee who went forward for election was an existing employee director and had already served as an employee director for 10 years and was therefore not eligible to be appointed for a further term of office.  My Department advised the company that the 10-year limit applies to all directors including employee directors and the process for election of an employee director was reheld.  A number of candidates went forward and a new employee director is now in place. All employee director positions in port companies have been filled and no vacancies will arise for a number of years.