In view of the previous Government's decision of October 1986 to set up a harbour authority together with the clear recommendation by the planning review group that a harbour authority should be set up — an endorsement of our decision — can the Minister say whether he is favourably disposed to those two decisions and recommendations at this stage, without pre-empting a Government decision?

The group recommended that the management and development of the harbour should be entrusted to an authority consisting of a chairman and six ordinary members appointed by the Minister for the Marine on the basis of their competence to contribute to the running of the harbour. The authority should prepare a detailed management plan for the harbour with the kind of development outlined in the report. The authority should act as a commercial semi-State development agency with the power to borrow and attract funds to implement this plan. That recommendation would broadly fit into line with the policy I am following in the Department. This is the type of small, commercially-orientated body to which we propose to entrust by legislation the management of the Shannon Estuary, for instance. Deputy McCoy will be familiar with this matter. There is to be an estuarial authority replacing the 40 or 50 commissioners.

When the Government come to a decision on a marina proposal in Dún Laoghaire, will there be a decision at the same time as to whether Dún Laoghaire should have a harbour development board?

The overall development of Dún Laoghaire should be considered in a broad general way and the precise position should be set out in the overall context. I cannot pre-empt the Government decision.