Mr. Pat Keating:

There is a network of European ports, which is known as the European Sea Ports Organisation, ESPO. Renewable energy is high on the list there. Regarding Ireland, it is driven by national policy, though. The rubber hits the road when we try to get our planning MAC consents, planning permissions and funding strategies. We called out the issues in our master plan, which was launched last November. They all need to be addressed. As ports, we can only do so much and, in fairness, a lot of work is being done collectively by the ports. The roadblocks are still there regarding consenting. The framework is established - MARA and An Bord Pleanála - but the resourcing of those is important, as is timing of the mandates for them to start investigating. This phasing - phase 1, phase 2, phase 3, enduring regime - must be fast-tracked. Enduring regime should be front and centre and needs to be fast-tracked from the perspective of Shannon Foynes and the Atlantic.