Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The vision we all have of Ros an Mhíl is a multi-use port. The Minister saw for himself the fantastic space around it that is probably incomparable to any other port in the country. There is a lot of land in State ownership in a secluded area at the port. The vision we would have is: leisure, which is in the inner harbour; the ferry boats, which the Minister knows use it to great effect bringing cargo out to the islands - certain types of cargo go from there and the main cargo goes from Galway; the major issue of fishing, which is the primary purpose of the port; and, of course, the big new coming industry of renewable energy.

As the Minister will be aware, if we get our act together, the west coast could catch up with the east coast in wind generation, particularly off the coast of Galway at the Sceirde Rocks, and there will be no knowing how much berthage will be needed on the mainland. Presumably, in all the consideration of this, the development of that port in this holistic way in all its elements is very much to the fore with the Department, and not only the narrow fishing.

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