Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport.

Under the TEN-T Regulation, ports that meet certain criteria in respect of cargo volumes, passenger traffic, and location are included on the Core or Comprehensive network. As the Port of Shannon Foynes meets the criteria for inclusion on the Core network, it must comply with the requirements for Core ports, including the requirement for a rail connection by 2030. This legal requirement is set out in Article 41 of the 2013 TEN-T Regulation (1315/2013), which provides exemptions only in the case of physical constraints.

Recital 26, which the Deputy provided, is taken from the EU Commission's proposal to revise the TEN-T Regulation. This process is not yet concluded and the quoted text is not part of operative EU legislation. As such, the legal requirements of the 2013 Regulation continue to apply to Shannon Foynes as a port on the Core Network.