Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

My understanding is that the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage recently announced the appointment of Captain Robert McCabe as chairperson of the seafood offshore renewable energy working group. This group will dovetail with this acceleration task force so, yes, it is starting its work.

The scale and the speed required are beyond compare. In the context of these deployment ports, Cork has a real potential advantage because it has deepwater berths where one needs at least a 10 m quayside and the quay needs to be able to hold a 1,500 tonne piece of metal or concrete, if it is floating facility. These must be delivered in the Port of Cork and elsewhere in the next three years in order that the construction at sea can start in 2026 or 2027. We must get these projects through planning and get investment in, all of which must be done while we are engaging in the auction process. I am confident that we will do it. Every other north-west European country is doing the same thing at massive scale.

One of the things I was discussing with the European Commissioner this morning is how we co-ordinate with other European countries and the UK in order that this massive expansion in cabling, shipping, steel and electrolysers can be delivered in a co-ordinated way. That is key.

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