Dee Ryan (Fianna Fail)

I wish to highlight a wonderful venture launched yesterday, namely the collaboration of the Shannon Foynes Port Company with Associated British Ports and BrestPort. Associated British Ports runs the ports across the UK and BrestPort handles the ports across France. They have combined to establish an alliance of ports to handle floating offshore wind. It is hoped the alliance will be able to share best practice and experience and promote learning and the rapid adoption of floating offshore wind across Europe and the world.

Shannon Foynes Port Company CEO Pat Keating has been one of the strongest and earliest advocates for floating offshore wind on the west coast. Since I first met him in 2018, he has been highlighting and trying to draw Government attention to the many natural resources on our west coast, including the deep channel in the Shannon Estuary, the existing port that has the potential to be expanded, the connectivity through Moneypoint and Tarbert into the grid and the high winds on our Atlantic west coast, which others around the world would compare to oil fields. They say Ireland is the Saudi Arabia of wind. I commend Pat Keating, the Shannon Foynes Port Company and the other port companies that have joined forces and announced this collaboration, which we hope will help expedite the adoption of floating offshore wind across Europe.