Editing Rosslare Europort (section)

==Ownership of Europort==

Rosslare is unique among the commercial ports in Ireland as it operates outside of the Irish Harbours Acts 1996–2009.  The port is owned by the [[Fishguard and Rosslare Railways and Harbours Company]] which owes its origins to the [[Fishguard Bay, Railway and Pier Act 1893]] ([[56 & 57 Vict.]] c. xcvii), as amended by the [[Fishguard and Rosslare Railways and Harbours Act 1894]] ([[57 & 58 Vict.]] c. cxxxvii), both acts of the UK Parliament, still valid in Ireland. The constituent ports (Rosslare and Fishguard) of the company are nowadays the operational and financial responsibility of Iarnród Éireann and Stena Line Ports Ltd respectively. On account of this historic arrangement, Rosslare Europort is operated as a division of Iarnród Éireann. As it is not a separate corporate entity, it cannot be accurately compared in terms of turnover, overheads and employees to the other port companies.  This limits the ability to adequately benchmark its performance.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://assets.gov.ie/11557/277d22d364fe4c13be390493282c0557.PDF |title=2013 National Ports Policy, page 28 |access-date=8 March 2021 |archive-date=3 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210303213212/https://assets.gov.ie/11557/277d22d364fe4c13be390493282c0557.PDF |url-status=live }}</ref>

It has been reported that the Irish Government intends to re-examine the ownership status of Rosslare Europort to see if it can be freed from British ownership as it is believed that the port's complicated ownership structure is a barrier to essential upgrades in the wake of Brexit, and should be fully owned by the Irish State.<ref>[https://www.businesspost.ie/ireland/ryan-may-be-the-minister-to-reclaim-rosslare-port-from-britain-025ada73 Ryan may be the minister to reclaim Rosslare port from Britain The state fears the port's complicated ownership structure will be a barrier to vital upgrades in the wake of Brexit] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210125142105/https://www.businesspost.ie/ireland/ryan-may-be-the-minister-to-reclaim-rosslare-port-from-britain-025ada73 |date=25 January 2021 }} [[Business Post]] 24 January 2021</ref><ref>[https://www.southeastradio.ie/2021/01/rosslare-europort-ownership-issues-to-be-examined-by-the-government/ "Rosslare Europort ownership issues to be examined by the Government"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210125230547/https://www.southeastradio.ie/2021/01/rosslare-europort-ownership-issues-to-be-examined-by-the-government/ |date=25 January 2021 }} www.southeastradio.ie 24 January 2021</ref>  This follows earlier commitments by another Irish Government minister to raise the issue with the UK Government<ref>[https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-30965679.html Ross to talk with UK government about Rosslare Harbour ownership] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210128123519/https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-30965679.html |date=28 January 2021 }} Irish Examiner 21 November 2019</ref><ref>[https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-30956935.html "Shane Ross urged to act on Rosslare ‘quagmire’"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210124084236/https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-30956935.html |date=24 January 2021 }} Irish Examiner 14 October 2019</ref>  The issue of ownership was first raised in 2019 by [[James Browne (Fianna Fáil politician)|James Browne]], a legally qualified local [[Teachta Dála|TD]], who described the issue as a major factor in the lack of investment in the port but ministers did not follow-up on Browne's intervention.<ref name="independent.ie"/>  Deputy Browne also suggested that Ianróid Eireann should be divested of management of the Europort with a separate independent management entity.  He said that the current arrangements was hindering investment and the development of Rosslare to the advantage of Dublin Port.  Deputy Browne compared the huge disparity between investment in Dublin Port as compared to Rosslare Europort, partly due to the ownership issue.<ref name="ReferenceA"/>