Oireachtas delegation arrive at Port of Cork

A DELEGATION from the Dáil and Seanad attended the Port of Cork recently to learn more about development plans for the facility.

The Port of Cork Company (PoCC) hosted the Oireachtas committee on enterprise, trade and employment to discuss the future development of the port and its key international trading operations.

The committee delegation, which included Cork TD David Stanton, Cathaoirleach Maurice Quinlivan, Deputy Louise O’Reilly, Deputy Matt Shanahan, Senator Róisín Garvey, and Senator Paul Gavan, were given a presentation on the PoCC’s strategic infrastructure and growth plans, including the development of the renewable energy sector.

A Port of Cork spokesperson said that as the only Irish port currently with planning permission in place to support the growth of the Offshore Energy Renewable (ORE) industry, the PoCC is uniquely positioned to support the progression of ORE as an energy source to help power Ireland.

The Oireachtas members viewed the port infrastructure from the water by taking a short trip on a boat.

The trip allowed them to learn more about port operations and the economic value of the PoCC as a key international gateway to trade for the south of Ireland.

Chief Commercial Officer at the PoCC, Conor Mowlds said that “engaging with members of the Oireachtas is hugely important” for them.

“As we move away from the use of fossil fuels to tackle the impact of climate change, we envisage the Port of Cork will continue to play a key role in facilitating the future energy needs of the country with Cork Harbour as a hub of renewable energy.

“The impact of these direct engagements with elected public representatives is already evident with the Port’s ORE planning and funding being discussed on the Dáil floor [recently] by Deputy David Stanton,” he said.

The TD raised a topical issue in Dáil Éireann to discuss the need to expand port facilities in Cork to facilitate this, outlining the requirement for funding, saying, “It’s vital that the planning, which in itself was a huge achievement to secure, comes to fruition and isn’t left to expire because of funding challenges.”