A LEGACY FOR THE FUTURE
At the Port of Galway, we are embracing the challenges of today’s highly competitive marketplace with a proposed re-development of our port. This will herald an exciting transformation in the way we do business.
This change will be reflected in our facilities, operations, partnerships, processes, performance and our people.
Our vision for a redeveloped Port of Galway is simple. We want to ensure that the Port remains at the heart of Galway City’s economic and social development.
Our commitment is to maintain and grow the contribution we make to the local economy in terms of employment and boosting tourism numbers through hosting national and international events such as the Volvo Ocean Race and Seafest.
For our proposed redevelopment
we are taking INSPIRATION from our proud past,
adopting INNOVATION for our present circumstances
in the hope of creating a lasting LEGACY for generations to come.
We are very proud of our maritime history and we are therefore cognisant that retaining the Port of Galway, as a significant centre of local and national maritime activity, remains at the forefront of what we do. We are equally cognisant of the changing global economic situation we now find ourselves in. Our Port capacity and facilities are severally inadequate from where they need to be if we are to compete for, and win, new national and international business and if we are to meet the changing requirements of our existing customers. We must become more cost efficient and price competitive to enable us to grow our business and to have an even greater impact on our economy.
To achieve this, we need to accommodate larger vessels. Times have changed, tides and trade are transformed, and vessels have tonnage and capacities unimaginable to their commercial ancestors. The Port of Galway is restricted by the size of our current approach channel and the fact that we are a gated port, subject to the vagaries of rising and ebbing tides.
The Harbours Act of 1996 and the National Port Policy 2013 has changed our relationship with the national government. The Galway Harbour Company is a stand-alone economic entity with a mandate to sustain and grow the business of the Port of Galway. Our working relationship with the Department of Transport is on an open and engaging basis.
In all that we do, the Port of Galway operates an open and transparent policy in terms of engaging with our main shareholder Galway City Council, our customers and our partners. To this end we have so far consulted with over 100 representative bodies including Galway City and County Councils, local and national politicians, resident’s organisations, fishing organisations, sailing organisations and business organisations, in order to elicit feedback on our proposed redevelopment.
While the planning application is well advanced, we still welcome feedback, suggestions and input from any and all quarters to ensure that the final proposed development is a success. So much so, that even with the proposed Port expansion design complete, we are always open to hear new ideas and ways to do things smarter. Pop us a line, give us a call or complete the on-line feedback section on this website. Communication is king and we will never tire of hearing opinions and views.
Sometimes you have to look back to go forward and we have done this by going back on initial designs of how the expanded Port would look and be constructed. We continue to look forward to this exciting and important time in the history of the next phase of Galway being a Maritime Port City. The expanded Port will change Galway for the better and serve the city and region for decades to come.
We Need YOUR Opinion
At Galway Harbour Company, we realise the importance of consultation, we know that if we are to be successful in developing our Port that consultation with various stakeholders and the general Galway public is crucial.
We ask for your feedback through this secure forum, we want to know what you think of the overall proposal and the various aspects contained in that proposal. This development affects all of us and taking various opinions into account will strengthen our position.
Thank you for taking the time to communicate your views and opinions to us.
