Mr. Eoin McGettigan:

I have been chief executive of the Port of Cork company since last October. I am accompanied by Mr. Henry Kingston, port engineering manager.

The Port of Cork is the second largest in the State, handling all cargo types, lift on-lift off, lo-lo, containers, liquid and solid bulks, ro-ro freight, project cargo and cruises. It operates facilities in Cork city, Tivoli, Ringaskiddy and Cobh. The port includes Whitegate oil refinery and the Whiddy oil storage facility in Bantry. The Marino Point site is currently being developed as a port facility and a new €80 million container terminal is nearing completion in Ringaskiddy. The Port of Cork is categorised as a tier 1 port of national significance in the national ports policy 2013 and a core port in the North Sea-Mediterranean corridor and on the Atlantic corridor of the EU TEN-T network.

The port is undertaking several significant infrastructural projects which have the potential to transform Cork Harbour. The move of port activities into deeper water, closer to the shipping channels, will mean more efficient links to markets, a significantly lower carbon footprint and a reduced requirement for dredging the River Lee. The urban regeneration potential left behind in the city and Tivoli docks is fully aligned with the national planning framework, NPF, objectives of compact living and sustainable transport. These opportunities have been recognised and supported in the NDP, the NPF, the regional spatial and economic strategy for the region and local city and county plans.

However, relying solely on individual port companies to invest in national port infrastructure may not be sufficient to serve the needs of the national economy, especially while facing disrupters such as Brexit, climate change, offshore energy, hydrogen and transition fuels such as LNG. A number of obstacles remain to the orderly and planned relocation of our city centre operations. The first is the fact that the road connectivity to the key lower harbour facilities in Ringaskiddy and Marino Point is not up to the required EU standards for core port connectivity. Full throughput from the terminals cannot be achieved with the current HGV access. The second is the relocation of a number of private companies operating Seveso designation site in Cork city docks and Tivoli docks to more compatible port sites in the lower harbour. The third is the investment needed to reconnect the freight rail link to Marino Point. The fourth is the fact that the ability of commercial semi-State port companies to self-fund major capital projects is limited by the financial capabilities of our balance sheet. Providing suitably upgraded freight connections from the national road network to Cork's new port facilities in Ringaskiddy and Marino Point will remove up to 600 truck moments daily from Cork city centre. This will allow for city centre growth and compact living, and will support sustainable transport mode in the city, such as the positive impact the Dublin Port Tunnel had on Dublin city centre traffic.

In conclusion, despite the fact our port projects are supported in the NDP, they face the same risks, such as planning challenges and legal delays, as other projects, as well as funding uncertainty. Efforts to streamline these processes have not been fully successful. The current investment required to deliver the transformational change for Cork city and the southern region goes beyond the incremental capital investment which can be supported by the port. The NDP has identified the opportunity for Cork city and the southern region in which the Port of Cork company must play a central role. A broader perspective on how to clear the obstacles to realise this opportunity now needs to be applied and resourced by the various State agencies involved such as the Port of Cork, Cork city and county councils, TII, the NTA, Irish Rail and others. I thank the Chairman and committee.