Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Regarding the first part of the question, we are engaging with Foras on that at the moment. On the issue of the ports, the Department of Transport, as the Deputy is probably aware, is currently awaiting the results of the 2003 connecting Europe facility funding call. We expect to have those results by July of this year. The Department of Transport, along with the Irish Maritime Development Office, assisted ports that made applications under that funding call. We are aware that multiple ports have submitted applications. The Department has also signed an advisory agreement with the European Investment Bank, EIB. This bank is undertaking analysis on demand, capacity and finance options that relate to Irish ports' offshore renewable energy plans. The Department is also overseeing reviews of each business case that has been submitted by Irish ports in relation to offshore renewable energy.

The offshore renewable energy ports facilitation division has communicated feedback to the relevant ports based on their initial reviews. Once a formal evaluation of those projects has been carried out and the advisory work of the European Investment Bank is completed, the Department will be able to make an informed decision on the financing of those projects.

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