Lack of local support for port plan ‘puts jobs at risk’

Jimmy Woulfe, Mid-West Correspondent

A major development plan has been dropped by Shannon Foynes Port Company amid stringent opposition by locals.

The plan is part of a E53.5 million investment to improve shipping facilities in the Shannon Estuary over the next five years.

The port company said some services may have to be terminated at the port with a loss of jobs, due to local hostility towards the company’s plans for the development of the port.

Relations between the Shannon Foynes Port Company and locals were further soured recently over the closure of an old slipway.

The port company said they took the action to close off the slipway on health and safety grounds and because it allowed open access to the port in breach of security guidelines.

However after about 300 people attended a meeting and called for the reopening of the slip, the port company did a U-turn and removed the boulders they had placed to block access to the slipway.

Relations between the port company and the local yacht club have also been strained after the yacht club rejected a call by the port company to allow members of the public use their slipway.

Things took a new turn for the worse yesterday with the port company saying it was not going ahead with development plans it has drawn up for the port.

Chief executive Brian Byrne said: “The company has learned of a co-ordinate movements towards objecting to developments at Foynes Port. Written and verbal invitations to community representatives to dialogue with the company have not been taken up. In the absence of any meaningful discussion and in the light of demands on the company to withdraw an application to Limerick County Council for permission to upgrade redundant facilities, the company has no option but to assume that the community has decided that the port activities of the company are unwelcome at Foynes.”

Mr Byrne said that he has issued instructions that planning permission for major works at the port be withdrawn immediately.

He said this decision will now throw the future of a new weekly container ship service to Rotterdam in doubt, as they do not have enough space.

The port company have issued a statement to port users, trade unions and port handing agents.