Members of the Board of Bantry's Harbour Commissioners have vowed to fight plans which could see the Bantry Bay Harbour Commissioners consigned to history.

The Board are currently seeking legal advice following the announcement by Transport Minister Noel Dempsey that he plans to transfer responsibility for the running of shipping activity in Bantry Bay from Bantry Harbour Commissioners to the Port of Cork.

The proposal is part of the 2008 Harbours (Amendment) Bill which is currently at draft stage and published last week.

Trade in excess of 1,000,000 tonnes a year passes through Bantry Bay principally from the ConocoPhillips oil terminal on Whiddy Island but also through significant exports of quarried material and is growing, placing Bantry among the top ten ports in the country by volume.

Speaking at the launch of the Bill, Minister Dempsey said, "This important new legislation will help the 10 State port companies to grow and develop their businesses into the future. Notwithstanding the current economic slowdown the port authorities should continue to plan for growth in the medium and long term. This legislation is designed to help them do that".

Among the main provisions of the Bill is the development of a clear legislative basis to underpin investment by port companies outside their current harbour limits.

A new provision on alteration of existing harbour limits of port companies to facilitate the proposed port development at Bremore and any other potential port development plans.

The reduction n the number of directors on a port company from 12 to eight. A new provision to allow greater flexibility for port companies to borrow in order to fund additional port capacity and provision for the transfer of functions from the Minister for Transport to An Bord Pleanála in the context of the compulsory acquisition of land by port companies.

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