I wish to raise one simple issue related to the national harbour and ports policy. The policy document now covers national ports and harbours and has gone through a number of Ministers. Most recently, the responsible Ministers in the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport have been Deputies Leo Varadkar, Paschal Donohoe and now Shane Ross. Fundamental changes have been made to national harbour and ports policy. A decision was made to take a number of ports considered to be of regional significance out of the control of the Department which so happens to be the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport, which is where the Minister, Deputy Shane Ross, comes in.

The transitional period has not been smooth, with the single exception of Wicklow Port, on which I stand open to correction.

I am very familiar with Dún Laoghaire Harbour Company because I was a director for ten years. It is important that the Minister come before the House to explain the status of the roll-out of the national ports policy and, more importantly, his failure to appoint directors to fill vacancies at a number of ports within his remit. I want to give him an opportunity to come and be questioned about the matter rather than read every week in The Sunday Business Post about the 30 or 40 appointments within his brief that have never been made for some peculiar reason or about somebody taking the moral high ground. I want to be given an opportunity to ask him questions in this Chamber. That is very important. I also want to find out about the process of due diligence. There is a very expensive process of due diligence at a number of ports, yet there seems to be no action. Why is it that three Ministers with responsibility for harbours have failed to proceed with the transfer of harbours, which is Government policy? It is really important to have the Minister, Deputy Shane Ross, come here early to explain the issues involved. In particular, I want to make reference to Dún Laoghaire Harbour Company which has four vacancies on its board. As the harbour is falling apart, it is really important that the Minister come before the House to outline when he will sign the necessary documentation for the transfer of the port from the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport to Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council.