Belfast Harbour Commissioners, the Board which oversees the management of Northern Ireland's largest port, the Port of Belfast, has held its first ever meeting outside Belfast as part of a fact finding visit to Fermanagh.
The Commissioners hosted a function on Monday night (26th May, 2008) at the Lough Erne Golf Resort with representatives from Fermanagh's business community and political representatives. Among those attending were the Minister of the Environment, Arlene Foster MLA, Tommy Gallagher MLA, the Chairman of Fermanagh District Council, Alex Baird, as well as senior representatives from firms such as Belleek, RTD Crawford and Balcas Timber.
Many local firms rely upon the Port to access overseas markets and it is also an important disembarkation point for tourists visiting the county. According to Len O'Hagan, Chairman of Port of Belfast, the event was a chance for the Port to listen to the views of local businesses:
"This is the first time in its 161 year history that the Harbour Commissioners have held a Board meeting outside Belfast and I'm delighted that we came to Fermanagh.
"As a Trust Port, Belfast is a Port not just for Greater Belfast, but for all of Northern Ireland. We already have many significant customers from Fermanagh and this event was an opportunity to develop those relationships and forge new ones.
"It was also a chance for us to listen and find out if there were ways in which we could enhance the Port's operations for local users.
"Improvements to the main Enniskillen to Belfast road is bringing the Port closer to Fermanagh, while, at the same time, the Port is investing £630m in new terminals and quays to bring Great Britain and Europe closer to Ireland.
"We want to work closely with local businesses and local representatives to ensure that we all benefit from these new developments."
In a speech to the audience Mr. O'Hagan also praised the entrepreneurial skills of local business people, citing them as an example to the rest of Northern Ireland:
"Although small in size, Fermanagh makes up for it with entrepreneurial zeal, boasting of some of the finest entrepreneurs to be found anywhere in Britain or Ireland.
"If Northern Ireland and the Assembly are going to make the most of our new found economic opportunities then we have to take a lesson from Fermanagh which leads the way when it comes to starting to new businesses and relying upon home-grown talent."
Last year the Port handled 17.5m tonnes of cargoe with an estimated value of £21bn. Goods handled by the Port range from consumer goods such as food and clothing to bulk products including steel, animal feed and paper.
Ferry services operating from the Port to Scotland, England and the Isle of Man handled 1.3m passengers last year.
Thirty-one cruise ships also called at Port carrying 40,000 passengers and crew.
Over the next 17 years the Port plans to invest £630m in new facilities and reclaiming 120 acres from Belfast Lough which will enable it to handle a doubling in cargoe.
