Committee Reports > List of Committees > Private > 1928 > Joint Committee on the Dublin Port and Docks (Bridge) Bill, 1927 > Report - Dublin Port and Docks (Bridge) Bill, 1927 [Private]

OIREACHTAS.

TUARASGABHAIL ON gCO-CHOISTE AR BHILLE PORT AGUS DUGANNA BHAILE ATHA CLIATH (DROICHEAD), 1927.

REPORT OF THE JOINT COMMITTEE ON THE DUBLIN PORT AND DOCKS (BRIDGE) BILL, 1927.

1. The Joint Committee was constituted as follows:—Deputy W. E. Thrift, Chairman: Deputies S. Moore, R. Corish, and O. G. Esmonde; Senators T. Farren, J. C. Dowdall and P. J. Hooper.

2. The Joint Committee considered the Bill on the 14th, 15th, 20th, 21st, 22nd, 27th, 28th, 29th and 30th November, and the 4th and 5th December, 1928.

3. The Joint Committee report that they have incorporated in the Bill the Additional Provisions for the construction of a Transporter Bridge and for other purposes, referred to them by Order of the Seanad dated the 13th June, 1928, and have amended the Title of the Bill as follows:—

“AN ACT TO ENABLE THE DUBLIN PORT AND DOCKS BOARD TO REBUILD, ALTER, AND ENLARGE BUTT BRIDGE. AND TO CONSTRUCT EASTWARD THEREOF A TRANSPORTER BRIDGE OVER THE RIVER LIFFEY, TO PROVIDE FUNDS FOR THE EXECUTION OF THESE WORKS: TO AUTHORISE AN ADDITIONAL RATE OR A SUBSTITUTED RATE IN THE PLACE OF CERTAIN EXISTING RATES AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES”;

that they have examined the Preamble of the Bill and for the reason set out in Paragraph 6 of this Report have amended the same by deleting, in page 4, all the words after the word “extending” in line 56 to the end of the paragraph and have substituted therefor the following words:—

“to and including Butt Bridge, and any reconstruction thereof and of the building, rebuilding, repairing and maintaining of such proposed Transporter Bridge should from and after the first day of April next following the passing of this Act be defrayed out of one single rate to be authorised by this Act and to be called “The Bridge Rate” and that the working of such Transporter Bridge including the payment of officers and workmen necessary for that purpose should from and after the said bridge shall have been opened for traffic be defrayed as to one moiety thereof out of the Port Fund, (as defined by Section 224 of the Act of 1869) and as to the other moiety out of the said Bridge Rate.”

that the allegations contained in the Preamble, as amended, have been proved to their satisfaction; that they have gone through the Bill and have made amendments thereunto.

4. The Joint Committee report specially (1) that they have amended the Bill by providing in section 8 that the works authorised by the Bill in connection with Butt Bridge shall be completed within five years after the passing of the Act, and (2) notwithstanding anything to the contrary as to limitation of time for completion of works which may be contained in Order 92 of the Standing Orders relative to Private Business that they have amended the Bill by providing in the same section that the Transporter Bridge shall be completed within seven years after the passing of the Act or within such further period not exceeding three years commencing from the expiration of the said period of seven years as may, on application being made by the Promoters to the Minister for Industry and Commerce, be prescribed by order of the Minister.

5. The Joint Committee further report specially that they are of opinion, having had evidence produced before them on the matter, that the clearance of 95 feet between the underside of the girders of the proposed Transporter Bridge and the high water level of the River, shown on the Deposited Plans, is adequate, and that the further clearance of 15 feet which the Department of Industry and Commerce in its Report on the Bill requires to be allowed ought to be dispensed with or at least modified so as to avoid an increased burden of expense on the Bridge Rate area.

6. The Joint Committee further report specially that they are of the opinion that the Transporter Bridge, in a degree greater than in the case of the other bridges, will be of benefit to the internal traffic of the Port, and they have accordingly amended the Preamble as hereinbefore shown and have made provision in the Bill in section 34 that one moiety of the expenses of the working of the Transporter Bridge and of the payment of the officers and men necessary for that purpose shall be defrayed by the Promoters out of the Port Fund and the other moiety of such expenses shall be defrayed out of the Bridge Rate. In making this apportionment the Joint Committee are of opinion that a contribution should be made from the Road Fund in total or partial relief of the said moiety of expenses to be defrayed out of the Bridge Rate and they accordingly recommend that such contribution be made.

7. The Joint Committee further report specially that they recommend that any loan raised by the Promoters on the security of the Bridge Rate in pursuance of section 17 of the Bill should be a Trustee security within the meaning of the Trustee Act, 1893.

8. In considering the Bill the Joint Committee have had before them a report on the Bill from the Departments of Local Government and Public Health and of Industry and Commerce respectively. The manner in which the recommendations of the said Departments have been dealt with is shown in Appendix (A) and Appendix (B) respectively.

Cathaoirleach an Chó-Coiste.

5adh Mí na Nodlag, 1928.