Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The approach we have adopted is one I introduced when I was Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation. Prior to my appointment as Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, we had no regional enterprise strategies, whereas now we have pulled together an enterprise group for the mid-west, on which are represented all of the key players one would need to have to develop a diversification strategy. They include Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland, the local authorities and Science Foundation Ireland. In the ESB we have a key player in finding new opportunities in decarbonisation. It is a company which has the capacity to develop sectors such as biomass or offshore energy in a way no task force could deliver. The regional enterprise strategies which the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation, Deputy Humphreys, is driving and which have more than exceeded their targets in the diversification of the enterprise bases in their regions are the effective tools to bring this forward. The ESB is the key player in our energy environment that is identifying and adopting the opportunities onshore and offshore for the diversification of its portfolio. It is key to developing the assets at Moneypoint to ensure we can exploit the opportunities created by them. I am satisfied that the approach we are adopting will deliver the response for which the Deputies are, rightly, asking.

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