The oral hearing into the Port of Cork's proposals to build a new container facility at Ringaskiddy began yesterday.

The planning appeals board received more than 500 submissions against the highly controversial plans to move the port's city operations.

Waterford Port's submission said the plans for Ringaskiddy are ill conceived, unviable and unsustainable. However, the Port of Cork reacted angrily to their submissions, which they said were fundamentally flawed and anti-competitive.

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The first day heard the opening submission by the Port of Cork's Senior Counsel David Holland. He said the reason for the proposed move is that the Port of Cork's existing container terminal at Tivioli will shortly exceed capacity due to severe limitations on the size and number of the ships which dock there.

But in a statement, the Port of Waterford said there is ample port capacity in Ireland and the plan is "unwarranted and unnecessary".

The oral hearing is expected to take three weeks to hear all the evidence for and against the proposed 'Oyster Bank' terminal.

(VB/JM)