Sir, - On behalf of the Maritime Institute of Ireland, may I comment on items in your editions of August 29th and 30?
Contrary to the statement by your Environment Editor on August 29th, no talks took place with Mr Devey about Carlisle Pier, nor have the institute's representatives ever met him. A meeting did take place, at his request and as a matter of courtesy, with a Mr David Lyons, a representative of the Devey Group, at which he gave a very general outline of his company's plans for the pier. He was informed that these were in diametrical opposition to those of the Maritime Institute.
He was also told the institute had advised both the harbour company and the Minister for the Marine that, in its view, the pier should be designated a marine centre to house a state-of-the-art museum, erected by the State, as a memorial to the seamen who lost their lives while ensuring the country secured vital supplies during the second World War.
Contrary to the impression created by the statement that Mr Devey was "talking" to the institute, beyond the brief exchanges referred to above, no discussion (of a negotiation nature) took place, no proposals were made, and no further contact with the company concerned is planned.
More serious is the statement in your report of August 30th, on the reaction to the Devey proposals, that a spokesman for the Department of the Marine said "the Harbour Company has the right to sell the pier without Departmental or Ministerial approval".
This statement, if made, is totally incorrect as, under the terms of the 1996 Harbours Act, no harbour company, of which there are 28 listed in an appendix to the Act, has any absolute rights in the acquisition or disposal of harbour property. The Act clearly stipulates that the Minister may, after consultation with the company, issue a directive on such matters.
Finally, the Minister has the ultimate responsibility for matters concerning the State's harbours; this has not been extinguished or diminished by the terms of the Act. In addition, I was advised, in a recent discussion with a senior official of the Department, that a full consultative procedure would take place with all interested parties before any decision was made on the development of the Carlisle Pier. - Yours, etc.,
Desmond Branigan, President, Maritime Institute of Ireland, Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin.