Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 10 February 2026
348. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Transport whether a coordinated national strategy is in place or in development to provide offshore renewable energy marshalling and laydown capacity, including any review of the National Ports Policy and associated capital funding mechanisms; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9525/26]
View answerMy Department is committed to facilitating the development of port facilities to enable offshore renewable energy (ORE) development from Irish ports. In 2021, my Department published a policy statement on the facilitation of ORE by Commercial State ports in recognition of the need for additional port capacity to service the ORE industry. The policy statement endorses a multiport approach as the most optimal policy, facilitating a strong response from the ports sector and private entities within ports.
Government policy on Commercial State ports, is that they operate on a commercial self-funding basis. Notwithstanding this, my Department established the ORE Ports Facilitation Division which is committed to supporting the development of port infrastructure, to maximise the use of Irish ports for the delivery of offshore wind energy projects.
A key priority of the Division is to identify financing gaps in ORE ports projects and to support ports in identifying potential solutions from both public and private sectors including:
• The European Investment Bank (EIB)
• the EU's Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) Fund
• Irish Strategic Investment Fund (ISIF)
• Other private and public sources of financing and funding
Furthermore, the Division has assisted ports in their applications for CEF 2021-2027 funding by reviewing their draft applications and offering feedback in advance of the application deadline. In 2024, the Port of Cork Company was successful in its CEF funding application and received a grant of €38.4 million euro which enabled the company to enter an investment agreement for €88.5m with ISIF, to fund the construction of Ireland's first ORE enabling port infrastructure. This infrastructure is currently under construction and will be completed in 2026, well ahead of demand by offshore wind developers.
Separately, an Advisory Agreement with the European Investment Bank (EIB) has been signed by the Department. The EIB is undertaking an analysis on demand, capacity, and financing options relating to Irish ports’ ORE plans. Part of this analysis will include carrying out case studies of a number of proposed ORE ports projects.
The ongoing review of the National Ports Policy will consider ways to support the development of this essential port infrastructure, including infrastructure necessary for the deployment of offshore wind, in line with the Government’s climate and energy goals.
A Memorandum for Government on a draft revision of the National Ports Policy 2013 will be presented to Cabinet in Q1 2026. Once approved, my Department will carry out a public consultation on the draft policy, together with the related environmental reports, in the first half of 2026. The finalised draft will then be returned to Cabinet for approval, with publication to follow thereafter.
