Dublin Port Company has today announced that, following a public tender process, the contract to operate Dundalk Port has been awarded to O’Hanlon & Sons Contractors Ltd.
The tender follows the decision by the Minister for Transport, Mr. Leo Varadkar T.D., to transfer ownership of Dundalk Port to Dublin Port Company which became effective on 12th July 2011. Since the transfer, Dublin Port Company has restructured operations at the loss making Co. Louth port with a view to seeking expressions of interest from those wanting to manage the day-to-day activities of Dundalk Port.
At the time of the Minister’s announcement in May, Mr. Varadkar indicated his hope that port activities would continue at Dundalk following the transfer and of a possibility that the port could return to local control, in co-operation with private sector operators. It means that the under the terms of the agreement O’Hanlon & Sons Contractors Ltd., a local company, will be responsible for all commercial and operational matters in Dundalk Port.
Commenting on the announcement, Mr. Eamonn O’Reilly, Chief Executive, Dublin Port Company said: “ I am delighted to be able to confirm that we have entered into an agreement with O’Hanlon & Sons Contractors Ltd. to operate the Dundalk Port. This is a unique development in the Irish port sector but I believe that if Dundalk is to have a future it is best to have local private sector interests empowered to carve out a future for themselves, for the port and for everybody who depends on the port.”
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Source: DublinPort, October 6, 2011.