Written answers

Tuesday, 24 November 2015

Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation

Job Retention

Photo of Tom FlemingTom Fleming (Kerry South, Independent)
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194. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if he will intervene as a State investor for the stalled liquified gas terminal and combined heat and power plant of Tarbert-Ballylongford, County Kerry due to the withdrawal by the Hess Corporation Investment Company from the project, and as Shannon LNG Limited has spent €63 million on the project to date, it is imperative that the Government would ensure that the viability of this development will be progressed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41681/15]

Photo of Richard BrutonRichard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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This project falls outside of the remit of my Department. I understand that representatives of Shannon LNG have had meetings with government officials in the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources to discuss various issues. Along with Government colleagues, I am supportive of the proposal by Shannon LNG to construct a LNG terminal near Ballylongford, County Kerry, however the decision of the Hess Corporation Investment Company to advance the Shannon LNG project is a commercial matter for the company.

Shannon LNG currently has an option with Shannon Commercial Properties to buy a site in Ballylongford, Shannon Commercial Property is part of the Shannon Group which comes under the remit of the Minister for Transport, Tourist and Sport.

The Shannon Estuary is home to a number of large industries and employers including ESB Moneypoint, Aughinish Alumina, Tarbert Power Station and Shannon Airport. The South West Regional Action Plan for Jobs was published on 3rdJuly and recognises that the Ballylongford landbank has for a number of years been identified as a strategic zone for development in the areas of energy, maritime and data storage, and has identified facilitating private sector development of an LNG Plant along with a CHP plant on the Tarbert/Ballylongford landbank as an action target by Kerry County Council for Q3 2016.

In addition, actions for the greater Shannon Region are set out in the Mid-West Regional Action Plan, published on the 19thOctober. Both Action Plans aim to deliver employment growth of 10-15% in the regions by 2020.

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