As plans for Galway Bay's sewage treatment plant enter the final phase, the Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources, Galway West TD, Mr Fahey, has reaffirmed a promise made to the people of the Claddagh.
"There will be no deepwater port off Mutton Island," the Minister has said. This commitment, given during the height of the controversy, stands, he says.
There may be some developments beyond Galway's lock gates, however, including a marina, a jetty for cruise and passenger vessels and a single-point mooring buoy system (SPMBS) for oil tankers.
All of these possibilities are being examined by Galway Port Company, even as the property developers close in around the waterfront.
Several months ago, An Taisce's Galway branch called for an action plan for the dockland area which would allow for public consultation on rapid change.
If it doesn't become a little Monaco dominated by apartments and hotels, the tidal basin could be a hub for marine research traffic. The Marine Institute is already examining several sites in the docks area for its relocation from Dublin, with one very suitable site under the ownership of the influential Galway merchants, Thomas McDonogh and Sons. The Office of Public Works (OPW) has been looking at 14 possible locations.
Galway is a one-product port, and any decision affecting oil imports has to be approached with caution. However, the port company's chief executive, Mr Tom O'Neill, has confirmed to The Irish Times that the feasibility of an SPMBS is being examined. This would allow tankers to discharge oil into a pipeline linked to storage tanks ashore.
Much would depend on the sea-bed terrain, on cost and on the reaction of the oil companies. The Minister, Mr Fahey, says he is "anxious to see oil storage moved to the industrial area", as part of an SPMBS development, and might be able to allocate some funding for this under the National Development Plan.
However, the port company has its customers' views to take into account.
None of the companies has received any formal notification of proposed changes; and Shell is believed to have been less than pleased at the idea of shifting its oil terminals from the site overlooking Dock Road. Statoil, already located in the industrial area, also expresses some reservations. "A lot of money has been invested in the facility at the Leeside terminal, and we are very happy with current operations," a Statoil spokeswoman said.
The difficulty for the port management is that it is already under pressure in a city where property prices are prompting relentless development. Over a year ago it opposed Galway Corporation's approval for the construction of a hotel complex, with residential units and car-parking on the site of the former kelp stores - most recently a grain/fertiliser storage area - on the east side of which tonnes of oil can be stored at any one time. Ship-unloading is also right next to it.
In its appeal to An Bord Pleanala, the port company raised a number of safety concerns. It argued that an environmental impact statement should have been submitted, and said the Chief Fire Officer for Galway had failed to take account of the oil activities. It referred to the EU Directive 98/82 on Dangerous Substances, and the 1972 Dangerous Substances Act. It said a hotel and bar would attract more people into the docks area, and could increase the risk of serious accidents.
In spite of its concerns An Bord Pleanala approved the plan, which has been proceeding apace. It based its decision on a number of factors, including the Chief Fire Officer's report on the original planning application. That report did not object in principle, provided that a fire safety certificate was obtained before beginning work.
"Astonished," is how Mr O'Neill describes the port's reaction to the ruling. "This hotel and residential area will be just 40 metres from oil tanks and a discharging point." He is not aware of any other commercial port that could allow it.
Apart from safety factors, port management also fears it may lead to a restriction on oil-discharge movements. It is aware of one tanker berth in Cork where unloading can only take place during normal working hours, to avoid disturbing residents. "If there is any curtailment in an area that is already tidal, our customers won't be very happy. We don't want to lose Shell, as it represents 45 per cent of our business. And oil is 92 per cent of our total trade."
The port company is not against mixed use of the commercial harbour. As the sixth-largest in the State, it is constrained by the tide, and by space. However, oil imports are set to increase substantially over the next decade. The coal business will change, with the banning of smokeless fuel in the city area from October 1st. The redevelopment of adjoining Iarnrod Eireann property will have a major bearing, as will the final site selection by the OPW for the Marine Institute.
The company is very keen on developing marine research traffic, and believes it could attract up to 50 such vessels a year.
However, it has also been asked by the Minister to examine, with Galway Chamber of Commerce and sailing interests, the possibility of a marina.
"There are several locations, including the city side of the new Mutton Island causeway," the Minister says, emphasising that the funds are there. "The National Development Plan has earmarked £20 million for marine tourism and leisure, and given the experience that Dingle in Co Kerry has had in terms of attracting European vessels, I would clearly like to see Galway involved."
The dock area has already been looked at, but a recent plan for pontoons was turned down by several members of the port board.
"There may still be the possibility of limited berthage within the basin," the Minister says, adding that this is a matter for the harbour company.
Mutton Island's causeway could allow for other leisure-related developments, the Minister believes. "There will be no deepwater port. That we have promised. But a deepwater jetty could be constructed to accommodate cruise liners. Currently, Galway can't avail of that sort of traffic. Yet it is expanding and is very lucrative."
The presence of a sewage treatment plant, now being built and due for completion in June 2002, should not be an obstacle, given technological improvements, he says.
