Mr. Ray O'Leary:

The Department is working with local authorities, the port authorities and the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government to move them forward. Each will have to follow its own timetable because each will be at a different stage of preparation. We expect Drogheda and Wicklow to be early movers because they are quite ready for it but others will take more time. The previous Minister stated that Galway would take at least 18 months to be ready. It is a question of working with partners in local authorities and in the ports and with the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government, given its oversight responsibility for local authorities, to ensure everything proceeds smoothly and the correct options are pursued.