Anthony Lawlor (Kildare North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

If we were to attract one of the hubs to which I refer, then Ireland could be the pan-European centre for marine research. The funding for it would come from the Commission rather than from the Irish taxpayer. As stated, it is proposed to put 35 such hubs in place throughout Europe. The strong hint we got at our meeting is that there is huge potential in the context of research into marine renewable energy. It would not just be Ireland that would be involved either. The hub would be operated on an intergovernmental basis. We reached the conclusion that a hub of this nature could be a source of job creation, particularly in view of the fact that it would attract researchers from across Europe.