Steven Matthews (Wicklow, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

That is good. Earlier, we touched on marine security for energy installations when Deputy Duffy raised the issue. Many turbines will be located at sea, but we will also have interconnector cables, substations and control equipment for switching them in and out, balancing loads, etc. I recall raising this issue when we debated the Maritime Jurisdiction Act. The Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Deputy Coveney, was the Minister for Foreign Affairs at the time. Will maritime security be provided by means of a partnership arrangement? To some extent, these will be private investments. Why should the Naval Service be the protection force in that instance? Obviously, maritime security is very important for our national energy and export business. How do we foresee that playing out?