Mr. Paul Lennon:

The supply chain for fixed offshore wind is in Europe and Asia. There will be supply chain opportunities in terms of ports, as the representatives Wind Energy Ireland set out. There will be opportunities for electricians and that type of infrastructure on the ground. We see a clear opportunity for floating offshore wind supply chain and building the foundation structures locally to the wind farms. ESB is, for example, currently working on a planning application for a renewables hub on the Moneypoint site, as Mr. Dollard mentioned. Part of that hub will be a fabrication facility for the floating structures. Whether they are steel or concrete, we have proposed they will be built on the Moneypoint site and floated out to service not just ESB wind farms but third party wind farms as well.

We anticipate that will add an enormous gross value to the local economy in the mid-west region. It will also have benefits nationally. Our Green Atlantic at Moneypoint project has the ability to supply approximately a direct gross added value of €1.1 billion in the mid-west region, with the bulk of that on the back of the fabrication of the foundation structures. We have just kicked off the planning application process with An Bord Pleanála. We hope to make that planning application in the next 18 months or so. That is the clear, tangible benefit of floating offshore wind. We must get those signals that will allow for continued development of the supply chain to enable projects to be delivered by 2030 as part of the key that unlocks the west coast.