Transfer of five Irish ports to local authority control

Government approval for the Harbours Bill 2015 will see the transfer of control of five ‘Ports of Regional Significance’ (Drogheda, Dún Laoghaire, Galway, New Ross and Wicklow) to local authority-led goverance strucutures.

The Bill provides the legal basis to allow for a Ministerial Order, and also enhances management procedures of ‘Ports of National Significance’ namely Cork, Dublin, Shannon Foynes and Waterford. 

Dún Laoghaire, Co Dublin, a ‘Port of Regional Significance’ to be transferred to local authority governance. Photo Gillian Mills

Procedures include new statutory skillsets for directors; requirement for prospective chairpersons to appear before elected representatives to discuss the appointment; statutory requireiment regarding accountability of chairpersons and CEOs, and a maximum ten-year overall term of office for directors. 

“This Bill is another important step in the development of our commercial ports sector” and is a key recommendation of the 2013 National Ports Policy, remarked Pascal Donohoe, Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport. 

Transfer will be either as a shareholding and retention of the existing company, or a dissolution of the existing company strucuture and complete integration within local authority structures.

The preferred model of transfer will be informed by local authority-led due diligence process currently underway in respect of each company.