David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Am I correct in saying that these demonstrator sites will all be offshore? I am speaking about an onshore centre, such as in the Port of Cork. At present, the latter is not able to operate as an onshore centre. It is not big enough. It needs to expand, and the planning permission is about to run out. The Minister of State might bring that up at the interdepartmental working group the next time it meets. Otherwise, all of the other work to which he referred cannot happen.

Would the Minister of State be supportive of IDA Ireland-owned land being made available to the Port of Cork to enable it to expand? There is a parcel of such land adjacent to the port that is not being used, as far as I understand, and that cannot be used. Would the Minister of State look into that matter and perhaps support a request that the land be made available to the Port of Cork in order that it can get to first base with respect to this offshore renewable energy industry? This is serious. We do not have an onshore base. As far as I am aware, the project at the Port of Cork in respect of which there is planning permission is the only one of its kind in the Republic. Without it, all of this laudable ambition cannot and will not be realised. Others will get ahead of us.

I commend the Minister of State on what he and the Department are doing, but I ask him for to put in place all-of-government approach, which is what is needed, because, otherwise, we will be left on the back foot.

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