Department ‘scratching their backsides’ over Rosslare Port
THE FUTURE development of Rosslare Europort is at a standstill, according to Wexford TD Mick Wallace who accused the Department of Transport of ‘actively scratching their backsides’ in relation to the matter.
Deputy Wallace challenged Minister Shane Ross in the Dáil last week pointing out that it had been four years since the Indecon Strategic Review of Rosslare Harbour but nothing had been done since then and the report had only recently become available for public viewing, though heavily redacted, through a Freedom of Information request.
Deputy Wallace said: ‘Nothing has changed during those four years in terms of how Rosslare Europort operates nor how the Department has approached its ownership and management. The key recommendation of the Indecon report was option five, which concerns the potential to develop a long-term concession agreement for the port. A steering committee was set up but four years later nothing has happened.’
In response, the Minister pointed out that the most recent financial results for 2016 from Iarnród Éireann showed that the port division had made a surplus after tax of almost €2.5m, but the Wexford TD maintained that this was ‘in spite of the government, not because of it’.
He also pointed out that the Department had spent close to €120,000 on a report that they subsequently proceeded to ignore, adding that when he was submitting FOI requests he was being quoted extortionate fees but when he did get a response, most of it was redacted due to ‘ongoing deliberative process’.
‘What ongoing deliberative process? There’s nothing going on. Nothing has happened in the four years since the Indecon report was released and nothing has happened for decades prior to that.’
He said his questions about Rosslare Europort were frequently met with the ‘same old lines about the complex legal structure’ of the port and legislative difficulties. He remarked: ‘It’s like living in an episode of ‘Yes Minister’ where the civil servants talk about actively monitoring “this” and talk about actively considering “that”, but in reality the only thing they’re actively doing is actively scratching their backsides. They’re actively doing nothing in relation to sorting out the ownership issue of Rosslare Europort and they’re actively doing nothing to prepare our closest port to mainland Europe for the inevitable fallout of Brexit.
‘More vessels arrive in Rosslare annually than any other port in the country bar Dublin and that’s prior to Brexit. Yet the department doesn’t seem to have any idea on how to proceed to develop it or stop it from falling into disrepair.’
He also criticised the decision to move the railway platform away from the ferry terminal in 2008 saying it had been the only port or airport in the State that was serviced by a rail line and the thinking behind changing that was bewildering, saying he was beginning to wonder if it was less dangerous for the Department to ‘sit around and consider things’.
Wexford, he said, was a county that the recovery had not reached and he was sick of telling government Ministers that.
‘An enhanced, re-developed Rosslare Europort could provide an economic boost for the region as well as being strategically important for the country in terms of Brexit. It might be time for the Minister and his Department to start considering that.’
In response to queries from this newspaper, a spokesperson from the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport said that Rosslare Europort was unique as it was not a commercial company operating under the Harbour Acts but, instead, as a division of Iarnród Eireann, forming part of the Fishguard and Rosslare Railways and Harbours Company which is jointly operated by Iarnród Eireann and Stena Line.
‘Each of the two partners is wholly responsible for their own area of operations and liable for financial liabilities and profits associated with their part of the company; however the overarching company structure still exists.’
Referring to the Indecon Report, the spokesperson said it had concluded that the creation of an independent port authority would be extremely difficult given the port’s complex legal structure and, instead, it was recommended that the port remain in public ownership and that possibilities for private sector involvement be investigated.
‘In order to assist Iarnród Éireann’s overall consideration of how best to move forward, the company then engaged consultants to assess market interest. The assessment was largely positive in terms of the potential for increased private sector investment in the port; however, it did identify possible implementation issues due to the complicated legislative basis of the port.’
The Department subsequently consulted the Office of the Attorney General and is considering the issues highlighted by them.
In relation to Brexit, the spokesperson remarked that the impact of Brexit on Irish ports and shipping would be dependent on the outcome of the EU-UK negotiations.
They added that a workshop had been held in April in relation to the impact of Brexit on maritime affairs and stakeholders including Rosslare Europort were invited to attend. A report into the use of the UK Land Bridge, they said, was also something that should inform the potential for the future utilisation of all ports, including Rosslare Europort.