- Port company representatives expressed frustration at the pace of planning decisions
- Chief executives from Cork, Dublin, Waterford and Shannon Foynes attended the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport
- The Port of Cork CEO called for a single-delivery mechanism across all relevant bodies
- The Dublin Port CEO stated a proposed project has been under consideration for 120 weeks
- The Waterford Port CEO stated State investment would be needed for additional facilities
Representatives of port companies around the country have expressed frustration at the pace of progress when it comes to planning decisions about future developments. Chief executives from facilities in Cork, Dublin, Waterford and Shannon Foynes were questioned about their long-term strategies at a meeting of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport. The CEO at the Port of Cork stated there needed to be an integrated approach when it came to new initiatives.
Strategic projects should not have to navigate disconnected planning, marine, environmental, road, utility and funding processes. The Port of Cork CEO called on the Government to establish a single-delivery mechanism across all relevant bodies to oversee this. The Port of Cork CEO pointed out that the planned development of ports had knock-on consequences for the release of land for housing and other infrastructure. The role of ports in accommodating offshore wind generation was raised by several contributors. A National Designated Maritime Area Plan for Offshore Renewable Energy is being formulated. This aims to ensure 20 gigawatts of offshore renewable energy can be delivered to the grid by 2040.
The CEO at Shannon Foynes Port Company stated there was massive opportunity for the regions arising from the rollout of new energy sources. However, policy certainty was crucial in this regard to unlock funding and associated investment opportunities. The Dublin Port CEO stated that planning processes in relation to strategic developments should run in parallel to each other to speed up the decision-making process.
This would allow for a streamlining of policy to allow applications for maritime area consents proceed in tandem with associated planning processes. The Dublin Port CEO detailed one proposed project at the port which was five years in the making involving a 10,000 page submission. This has been under consideration by An Coimisiún Pleanála for 120 weeks with no decision forthcoming. Such adjudications should happen within a 48-week timeframe. The CEO of Waterford Port stated that State investment would be needed to assist with the provision of additional facilities.
Ann Doherty shared “Strategic projects should not have to navigate disconnected planning, marine, environmental, road, utility and funding processes.”
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