Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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33. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the status of the taskforce established to focus on the development of the Shannon Estuary; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49616/21]

Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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34. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the status of local development plans to stimulate economic activity for those areas that expected economic development arising from the Shannon LNG project; when these plans will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49617/21]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 33 and 34 together.

The Programme for Government - Our Shared Future commits to consider the potential of the Shannon Estuary in terms of regional economic development across transport and logistics, manufacturing, renewable energy and tourism, and develop a strategy to achieve this potential.

I am finalising plans to establish the Taskforce to identify areas of potential and I will bring a Memo to Government on this issue shortly. This will allow the Taskforce to begin its work in earnest taking account of the substantial potential the Shannon Estuary possesses. The Taskforce will be supported in its work by relevant Government Departments and State agencies. My ambition is that the Taskforce will be in a position to convene a number of meetings before the end of the year and finalise its work in the first half of 2022.