Ireland’s seaport system

Ireland is the most trade dependent country in the European Union. As a peripheral island economy, an effective seaport system is essential to link into international trade and facilitate export‐led development. During the 1980s, the growth in maritime trade was dispersed to benefit most of Ireland’s ports, although more recently traffic has polarised strongly on the ports of Cork, Dublin, Rosslare, the Shannon Estuary and Waterford. Four processes have played key roles in changing the comparative advantages of Irish ports and stimulating trade: deflection of trade to Northern Ireland ports; Europeanisation and globalisation; industrial policy and economic restructuring; peripherality and transport policy. National Development Plans have used structural funds to reduce the costs of peripherality and have focused investment on four strategic national ports which service two corridors of trade across the Irish Sea. A new context for port management has been created under the 1996 Harbours Act.