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

We will. We want to see our ports developing as one of the benefits from offshore wind. I expect the likes of Shannon Foynes Port to be centrally involved in the development of that first project on the west coast.

I expect the Port of Cork to develop and deliver the project it has planning permission for, which is the development of a 200 m berth of 11 m or so depth, an extension of the port in Ringaskiddy to be used as a deployment port for renewables and as a future expansion of the port as we move out from city centre port facilities in Cork. It was with regret the Doyle shipping yard on the other side of Cork Harbour has not decided to proceed. That was a commercial decision. It is a private port and company but I hope they can come back in at a future date because we will see significant development opportunities in our ports area.

Rosslare port is a key next port and Irish Rail is advancing a business case for that. It has been delayed somewhat by the designation of some of the port area within a special protection area by the National Parks and Wildlife Service but we will manage that. We see that as an important port development.

There are other port locations of relevance. Yesterday in one of the committees, Bremore Ireland Port was referred to. Belfast Harbour will be a critical port for us. We need to take an all-Ireland approach on this because Belfast Harbour is already seen as a successful port. Between those four or five port opportunities, I am confident we will have the port capability to deploy the resources we need.

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