Barry Heneghan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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301. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the steps being taken by his Department to implement a coordinated, multi-port development strategy for offshore wind energy; if he will provide details of the planned investment, site designations, and timelines to expand available laydown space and quayside infrastructure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60460/25]

Barry Heneghan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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302. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the specific measures his Department is taking to accelerate the development of a dedicated marshalling port, capable of supporting fixed-bottom offshore wind projects, given that recent analysis has identified the absence of such infrastructure as a critical barrier to meeting Ireland’s 2030 target of 5 GW of offshore wind capacity; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60461/25]

Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 301 and 302 together.

My Department and I are committed to facilitating Irish commercial State ports as key enablers of Ireland’s Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) industry. ORE is integral to achieving Ireland’s climate action ambitions as well as presenting economic benefits on a regional and national level. The National Offshore Wind Delivery Taskforce recognises the development of port infrastructure as a core objective, and my Department is working very closely with the Taskforce in this regard.

In 2021, the Department of Transport published a policy statement on the facilitation of offshore renewable energy by commercial ports in Ireland. This policy statement emphasises the importance of port facilities in Ireland for ORE developments during both the Marshalling and Assembly (M&A) and Operations and Maintenance (O&M) phases. The policy statement also sets out that a multi-port approach is required to address the needs of the industry. The current structure of the State commercial ports sector is that of independent commercial entities, each required to further develop their commercial business and compete with each other on a commercial basis. My Department’s ORE policy statement encourages all ports to proactively engage with the ORE industry and look towards potential development opportunities.

Since the publishing of the policy statement, a dedicated ORE Ports Facilitation Division has been established in my Department. This Division works to facilitate development of enabling ORE port infrastructure, particularly at commercial State ports. Additionally, an ORE Ports Co-Ordination Group has been established by my Department to facilitate consistent engagement with key stakeholders on ports’ progress with their ORE infrastructure projects. The group meets on a quarterly basis and not only allows for ports to engage directly with the Department, but also with other key Government Departments relevant to the delivery of ORE.

Ports in Ireland are actively preparing to service the offshore wind industry, with one port’s first phase of infrastructure development nearing completion and multiple other ports actively engaged in the consenting process.

The Port of Cork Company began construction on Phase 1 of its development at Ringaskiddy in October 2024 following the awarding of Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) funding and an investment agreement with Ireland Strategic Investment Fund (ISIF). The development, once complete, will place Port of Cork as the first commercial state port in Ireland ready to facilitate ORE developers whose ORE projects are currently in the planning process, noting that ORE development has previously been facilitated from Northern Ireland in Belfast Harbour. Further phases of Port of Cork’s development plan will expand its offering to the ORE industry into the future.

Rosslare Europort also has plans to service the offshore wind industry and has recently been granted a Maritime Area Consent (MAC) which will allow the port to submit a planning application for its proposed ORE Hub.

The Port of Waterford was also granted a MAC and submitted a planning application to An Coimisiún Pleanála in September 2025 to develop an ORE terminal.

Shannon Foynes Port Company is progressing plans to transform Foynes Island on the West Coast into an ORE and multi-purpose terminal.

A number of other private ports are also progressing plans to develop enabling infrastructure for the offshore wind industry.