Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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National Ports Policy designates Shannon Foynes Port Company ('the Company') as a Port of National Significance. The Company handles approximately 20% of tonnage handled annually at all Irish ports and is particularly important in the break bulk and dry-bulk sector where it has a national market share of approximately 50%. The Company is also seeking to diversify into other sectors through promoting the estuary as a specialist energy hub, in particular in the emerging Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) and green energy sector as the Shannon Estuary is one of the deepest and most sheltered estuaries in the world with channel depths of up to 32m.

The Company launched their 30 year masterplan, Vision 2041, in 2013 which outlined a thirty year port development strategy with the aim of providing facilities capable of handling 20m tonnes by 2041. The plan identifies a number of key actions required to achieve this ambition including the development of a new deep water berth at Foynes and the reinstatement of the Limerick-Foynes rail line and various other actions.

A review of Vision 2041 was conducted in 2022 in light of shifting political, environmental, and market dynamics. The review supported the aims of Vision 2041 and arising from the review three main themes were identified for future growth and expansion:

• Expanded, diversified and more sustainable logistics services.
• Delivering floating offshore wind (FLOW) at scale
• Facilitation of green industrial development and alternative fuels (“e-fuels”) production

The future development of the Deepwater port facilities at Foynes Island will provide both ORE integration services as well as a Neo-Panamax-capable container terminal providing the required capacity to expand the container business at the inner Port of Foynes. When completed this new deep water berth will have 15 metres of naturally occurring deep water and will be supported by upgraded hinterland connections with the reinstated rail line due to open in 2026 and the future completion of the N21/N69 Foynes to Limerick (including Adare Bypass) road scheme.

At a European level the Port is recognised as a Core Port on the EU trans-European transport network (TEN-T) and is on the TEN-T Atlantic and North South Rhine Mediterranean Corridors and has received initial funding from the European Union's Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) for Transport fund towards a feasibility study for the new deep-water berth at Foynes Island. The supported activities include field surveys, engineering design and modelling, environmental assessment and preparation of planning application.

National Ports Policy states that Government expects the Ports of National Significance (Tier 1) to lead the response to future national port capacity requirements and the continued commercial development of Shannon Foynes Port Company is a key strategic objective. 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 Policy Statement on the facilitation of Offshore Renewable Energy by Commercial Ports in Ireland published in 2021 specifically recognises the role of Shannon Foynes Port Company in the provision of large scale port infrastructure.

Foynes Island is a preferred deep water site identified in the Strategic Integrated Framework Plan (SIFP) for the Shannon Estuary for future marine related development and the Report by the independent Shannon Estuary Economic Taskforce established in April 2022 also supports the Company’s plans for a deep-water port on Foynes Island.

Both SIFP and the Taskforce considered the economic development potential of the Shannon Estuary region as a whole at different sites, however, only Foynes, Limerick Docks, and Shannon Airport Port terminal facilities are owned and operated by Shannon Foynes Port Company.

While Shannon Foynes Port Company is the Port Authority for the Shannon Estuary, the other three dedicated port terminal facilities at Aughinish, Moneypoint, and Tarbert are not under the ownership of Shannon Foynes Port Company and are managed privately. Any development of port facilities and lands not under the ownership of the port company on the Clare side of the Shannon is a matter for the owners of those sites.