Future Sale Won't Affect Belfast Harbour Trade Says Director

10th August 2015

#BelfastHarbour - Belfast Harbour's "robust" trade will not be affected by any potential future sale, its commercial director has told BBC News.

Joe O'Neill says the currently publicly owned harbour is run "very much in a private sector mode today... [If the harbour was sold] I don't believe there would be a substantial difference to the business in how we perform it on a day and daily basis."

According to the BBC, any future sale of the harbour on Belfast Lough could mean a £400 million windfall for Stormont from its split of the proceeds.

Last month the harbour report record profits and turnover as Belfast celebrated the hosting of the Tall Ships Festival.

And the port company also committed to investing £120 million in new infrastructure projects over the next three years.

Turnover and pre-tax profits in 2014 both saw a jump that was mirrored by a rise in trade volume, especially in freight traffic.

Earlier this year the harbour's new chairman David Dobbin said he was "committed to ensuring that Belfast continues to be the most modern and efficient port on the island [of Ireland]."

Published in Belfast Lough

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MacDara Conroy

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MacDara Conroy is a contributor covering all things on the water, from boating and wildlife to science and business

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