Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I was about to go into detail on that. As I have said, my Department continues to engage with ISIF and the EIB regarding the availability of funding and financing options for ports in providing the necessary ORE infrastructure. Clearly, there are challenges beyond funding to achieve our ambitions. It will require improvements to the planning process, which the Government is trying to advance, as well as the introduction of appropriate regulatory frameworks, the establishment of a cohesive supply chain and skills capability, including ecological and environmental, and enhancements to the national grid.

To this end, a national task force has been established by the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications to focus efforts across the system on delivering offshore wind energy. The task force brings together senior representatives from key Departments and agencies. The development of port infrastructure is a core objective, and my Department is working very closely with this task force.

The latest round of the CEF fund will be very important in the context of overall financing and developments. We cannot comment on specific ports, except to say that we have assisted eligible applicants in that regard. A decision on financing will be made in June 2023. In parallel, we are trying to accelerate the reforms across our planning system. The Maritime Area Regulatory Authority, MARA, has been established in respect of consents.

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