The opening of a new cruise terminal by 2015 is one of the projects set out by Dublin Port Company in its 30 year master plan unveiled today.
The plan will cost more than €600 million over that period and will be financed from the company’s own resources. It involves an investment of €110 million in the first five years.
The proposed €30 million cruise terminal will be located closer to the city, towards the O2 venue and will be big enough to accommodate two large cruise ships at the same time. Currently, cruise passengers arrive into an area better suited to cargo vessels. Last year, more than 85 cruise ships arrived at Dublin port, carrying 130,000 passengers.
The master plan was announced by Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport Leo Varadkar who said it was a comprehensive plan for the development of ”a vital part of our national infrastructure”. He said the city and the port had turned their backs on each other, as the city developed towards the west while the port moved east. This plan would reintegrate the port and city, he added.
The plan aims to bring the port closer to the centre of Dublin with improved walkways, cycle paths, public viewing platforms and a visitor centre.
One of the first projects will be the building of a compound to store imported cars, between the East Wall Road and Dublin Port Tunnel. This will accommodate 2,300 trade cars and will free up quayside space for port activity.
According to the plan, Dublin Port Company will be ready to handle 60 million tonnes of goods by 2040, a doubling of its current throughput. In 1981, it was handling just seven million tonnes of goods. By 2007 this had increased to 31 million tonnes.
Dublin Port Company chief executive Eamonn O’Reilly said the company was committed to developing the port within its current footprint “to the maximum extent possible” before considering projects involving major land reclamation.
The master plan is available for download on dublinport.ie
