Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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237. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he has considered reviewing the national ports policy to allow for increased State funding flexibility options, especially through European Union funding available measures; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45235/24]

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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As is set out in the Issues Paper on the Review of the National Ports Policy 2013, which was published on 19 October 2023 for public consultation, matters such as climate change adaptation, ORE facilitation and general port capacity requirements bring to the fore the question of how our ports are to finance such necessary developments into the future.

Currently, Irish ports do not receive any State funding. Any change in this policy would need strict criteria and safety mechanisms that protect Exchequer resources. It would also need to comply with the EU’s stringent State Aid regulations.

A revision of all aspects of the National Ports Policy is under active consideration by officials in my Department and a second public consultation on a draft text will take place in 2025.

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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238. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the amount of funding provided to each port in the State since 2014 through the Connecting Europe Facility, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45237/24]

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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The Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) for Transport is the funding instrument that supports the development of the trans-European transport (TEN-T) network.

The TEN-T network is a multimodal network of rail, roads, waterways, ports and airports which comprise two levels: the core network and the comprehensive network.

CEF funding is delivered in the form of grants allocated following highly competitive calls for proposals which are usually oversubscribed.

Applications for CEF funding are submitted to the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA), who work in partnership with the European Commission.

My Department liaises with the ports, reviews their applications, and provides feedback before they submit their final application to CINEA.

CINEA assess all applications and monitor the implementation of successful projects.

In line with National Ports Policy, ports receive no exchequer funding and must fund their developments through their own revenues, borrowings, EU grant funding or private sector involvement.

The funding that has been provided to each port in the State by the European Commission since 2014 through the Connecting Europe Facility is as follows: