Sir, – The Dublin Port Company (DPC) has claimed that the cost of moving from the capital would be €8.3 billion ("Relocating Dublin Port would cost over ¤8 billion, says company", Business, March 23rd). In the same article, the DPC acknowledges that remaining also has a price tag. Up to €4.2 billion, for a start. This amount will need to be spent on new porting facilities outside the capital as by 2040 the Dublin campus will run out of space.
According to its own figures, more then half the cost of moving the whole operation from Dublin’s city centre will have to be spent anyway.
But there are so many additional costs to keeping the port in the capital; the €277 million being spent on its Alexandra Basin Redevelopment, the €320 million to be spent on the recently permissioned MP2 project on its northside campus, the cost of purchasing and developing its 44-hectare inland port facility in Fingal, the soon to be costed development of their southside facility at Ringsend, and the cost to the State of the planned southern port access route.
Not to mention the indirect costs. The price for exporters of continuing an effective State monopoly. According to its own figures, Dublin Port handles more cargo than all other Irish ports combined. Far more.
There is also the cost to the city of the increased and never-ending movement of heavy goods vehicles. The costs to the nation of continuing to expand a port facility ideally located for the shrinking UK market. Not the growing continental one.
Then there are the opportunity costs of what could be done 256 hectares of prime land adjacent to the city centre if the port did move. At a time of a housing crisis and growing population, the answer is an obvious one.
All in all, even the exaggerated figure of €8.3 billion for moving Dublin Port is beginning to look like a deal. – Yours, etc,
ALAN ROBINSON,
Chief Executive,
Docklands Business Forum,
Dublin 3.