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Wednesday, 10 Nov 2021

Written Answers Nos. 1-67

Departmental Advertising

Questions (49)

Peadar Tóibín

Question:

49. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Taoiseach the total amount spent by his Department on advertisements, including traditional forms of advertisement and online advertising, in each of the past ten years and to date in 2021. [54916/21]

View answer

Written answers

The following table details expenditure by my Department on advertisements from 2011 to the beginning of November 2021.

Year

Expenditure

2011

€101,062

2012

€562,573

2013

€68,128

2014

€6,192

2015

€53,666

2016

€21,815

2017

€40,616

2018

€1,895,673

2019

€33,659

2020

€17,045,754

Nov 2021

€10,434,620

The bulk of the spend in 2020 and 2021 relates to the dissemination of information related to the COVID-19 emergency. Public information campaigns played a vital role in communicating the various strands of the pandemic. The campaigns informed citizens of all stages of restrictions as they were introduced and subsequently lifted. Public information campaigns were also used to communicate with citizens on the supports being made available by Government to get through the pandemic. Campaigns have taken place across national and local radio, national and regional newspapers, and social media platforms. The centralised approach adopted is helping to ensure effectiveness of advertising spend and consistency and amplification of the public health messaging across the various public awareness campaigns and to those hard to reach audiences.

My Department also incurred expenditure during the period 2011-2021 on a wide range of public information campaigns which have been as set out in previous parliamentary replies.

EU Agreements

Questions (50)

Seán Sherlock

Question:

50. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment when it is expected to complete the ratification of the Unified Patent Court Agreement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54826/21]

View answer

Written answers

The international Agreement on the Unified Patent Court (UPCA), signed in February 2013, entails the establishment of the Unified Patent Court (UPC), an international court that will when operational, have exclusive competence for actions for infringement and validity in respect of European patents.

To enter into force, the UPCA must be ratified by 13 Member States including the three largest contracting states (by number of European patents). Originally, these were France, Germany, and the UK. The UK announced in February 2020 that following Brexit, it would not be participating in the UPCA. With the UK having withdrawn, those three countries are now France, Germany, and Italy. To date, 16 Member States have ratified the Agreement including France and Italy.

Several constitutional challenges had significantly delayed the German ratification, but they have now been resolved, and Germany has now passed the legislation enabling it to ratify the UPCA. Germany has also ratified the Protocol on Provisional Application (PPA). One further participating Member State is required to ratify the Protocol, so that it may enter into force and mark the start of the provisional application period (PAP). This will enable various final preparations to be undertaken so that the UPC can become fully operational.

In order for  Ireland to ratify the UPCA, a successful Constitutional referendum will be required to allow for the transfer of jurisdictional powers from our Courts to the new international Court.

A decision on the holding of a referendum on this issue will be kept under review in the context of the timing of the coming into force of the UPC. The timing of a referendum will be a matter for Government to decide.

Industrial Development

Questions (51)

Jackie Cahill

Question:

51. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the reason a foreign company based in a rural area in Ireland which employs ten persons and plans to expand to 40 employees is not deemed suitable for IDA Ireland investment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54829/21]

View answer

Written answers

I understand that the company referred to by the Deputy not currently a client of IDA Ireland.

IDA Ireland offers a wide range of financial assistance to companies wishing to locate and/or expand their existing operation in Ireland including but not restricted to: Capital, Employment, Training, as well as R&D and environmental supports.

In addition to supporting potential investors through financial supports, IDA Ireland can facilitate site visits to locations, business parks, office space, companies, business clusters, recruiters, banks and regulators.  It can also offer support with visas, schools, electricity, or executive accommodations or whatever matches the requirements of a potential company looking to locate in Ireland.

I am advised that IDA Ireland engaged with the company in early 2020 and the Agency outlined the minimum criteria companies must meet to become an IDA client, and that IDA would be happy to continue dialogue with the company and offer non- financial or ‘soft’ supports.

In this regard, I am informed that the IDA has conducted a number of virtual itineraries and calls providing assistance to the company the Deputy referred to; with introductions to peer companies, potential customers, research centres, service providers and other stakeholders such as the NTMA and SEAI.

IDA Ireland will continue to be available to the company as their circumstances progress.

It should also be noted that all funding approved by IDA Ireland is negotiated on a case-by-case basis considering the merits of each investment and in compliance with EU and Irish legislation.

Departmental Advertising

Questions (52)

Peadar Tóibín

Question:

52. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the total amount spent by his Department on advertisements, including traditional forms of advertisement and online advertising, in each of the past ten years and to date in 2021. [54905/21]

View answer

Written answers

As answered in Question No. 12899 on 31st May 2016, which requested of the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation “the amount of money spent by her Department on media advertising from March 2011 to February 2016, showing the media organisation, newspaper, radio, television, or any other forms of media to which advertisement fees were paid by her Department; and the amount of money paid per year to each individual media organisation in tabular form”, the following table indicates the amount spent by my Department on advertising from 2011 to 2015.

Year

Advertising Costs

2011

€168,921

2012

€55,812

2013

€36,388

2014

€80,287

2015

€532,961

 The amount my Department has spent on advertising from 2016 to date is as set out in the following table.

Year

Advertising Costs

2016

€113,035

2017

€285,859

2018

€60,380

2019

€180,655

2020

€58,852

2021

€365,527

Note that in 2020, the major cross government advertising campaigns of COVID and Brexit were led by the Departments of An Taoiseach and Foreign Affairs respectively but supported by other Departments including my own. Invoices for services related to Brexit advertising in 2020 to the value of €129,000 weren’t received by my Department before year end, and they were instead paid out as an unanticipated expenditure in January 2021. My Department’s spending also increased in 2021 due to my Department’s promotion of COVID related policies, including: Remote Working, Shop Safely and Work Safely.

Work Permits

Questions (53)

Michael Healy-Rae

Question:

53. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if work permits will be granted to persons (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55055/21]

View answer

Written answers

The Employment Permits Section of my Department inform me that Trusted Partner applications for General Employment Permits were received on the 20th August 2021 and the 7th September 2021 in respect the persons referenced in the Deputy’s question.

Applications for employment permits are dealt with in date order, and Employment Permits Section are currently processing Trusted Partner applications received on 9th August 2021.

The company will be notified of the outcome regarding the General Employment Permit applications once a decision has been made in respect of them.

Applicants can keep track of Employment Permit applications current processing dates at enterprise.gov.ie/en/What-We-Do/Workplace-and-Skills/Employment-Permits/Current-Application-Processing-Dates/Current-Processing-Dates-for-Employment-Permits.html

If a permit is urgently required, an applicant may request to have an application expedited.  A request to have an application expedited will only be considered in exceptional cases.  Such a request, which must be accompanied by a compelling business case, should be sent to dermot.kavanagh@enterprise.gov.ie

Labour Court

Questions (54)

Thomas Gould

Question:

54. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment when the pay rise for security guards due in June 2021 will come into effect. [55063/21]

View answer

Written answers

On 28 April 2021, I announced my intention to issue an Order to give effect to a statutory recommendation of the Labour Court concerning minimum rates of remuneration and other terms and conditions in the Security Sector.  The Order was to apply from 1 September 2021.  

An ex-parte application to initiate legal proceedings challenging the underlying legislation in the High Court was lodged in late July.  As part of the proceedings, the High Court has placed a Stay on me, which stops me from making the Order.  Until such time as these legal proceedings have concluded it is not possible to indicate a timeframe to the Deputy.

Trade Agreements

Questions (55)

Brendan Howlin

Question:

55. Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment when the motion seeking ratification of CETA will be made in Dáil Éireann given his comments at the Oireachtas Committee on European Affairs in relation to same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55065/21]

View answer

Written answers

Ratifying CETA is Government policy and an objective of mine as Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment.

As a country, we owe our relative prosperity to the goods and services produced by our people and our land, which we sell around the world. This formula has worked well. It is based on international trade, our attractiveness as a place to invest and our ability to enter into international free trade agreements with other countries.

CETA has provisionally applied since 21st September 2017, whereby those areas for which the EU has "full competence" under the Treaties are in force.

As I set out in my appearances before the Joint Oireachtas Committees on EU Affairs and on Enterprise Trade & Employment, when each reviewed CETA, provisional application has seen Goods exports to Canada increase from €953 million in 2016 to more than €1.7 billion in 2020 - an an increase of 78% in a little over five years. And Services exports grew from €1.6 billion in 2016 to more than €2.3 billion in 2019, an increase of 44%. These figures demonstrate the benefits of CETA and trade agreements.

I had originally sought to bring the relevant ratification motion for CETA before Dáil Éireann last December but as the Deputy is aware, this was postponed.

While I welcome the scrutiny at Committee, I do not want ratification delayed and drifting indefinitely, and for Ireland to have to stand by and watch other EU member states ratify it ahead of us, as the majority have. That would send out the wrong message to the world.

The ratification process for CETA has also been subject to legal challenges. On foot of a case taken by Deputy Patrick Costello, the High Court has confirmed that there is no requirement for a referendum before ratification can be considered by the House.  Senator Lynn Boylan has also initiated High Court action on ratification and I hope that the Courts could facilitate an early hearing of this application as it did with Deputy Costello's challenge.

As the Deputy will be aware given his involvement in the publication of a report by the Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Affairs, there are strongly held differences of opinion on CETA, principally in the area of Investment Protection. Those opinions can be expressed through a democratic vote in the Dáil in due course. An exact date for that vote has not yet been set by the Government.

Waste Management

Questions (56, 64)

Holly Cairns

Question:

56. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the steps he is taking in relation to persons having to pay a visible environmental management charge on used tyres which were used in silage storage even though the levy was already paid on the tyres when they were originally purchased; and his views on whether this is a disincentive to responsible disposal. [55172/21]

View answer

Holly Cairns

Question:

64. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications his views on providing a scheme to help remove historic waste tyres from farms. [55169/21]

View answer

Written answers

I propose to take Questions Nos. 56 and 64 together.

The compliance scheme for tyres and waste tyres was introduced in 2017 and is operated by Repak ELT. Under the scheme, any tyres which have incurred the visible environmental charge (vEMC)  are collected free of charge by Repak Elt through registered waste collectors.   I understand Repak Elt has no records of tyres on which the charge has been paid subsequently being delivered to any farmers for use in silage storage purposes.

Tyres held on farms for silage storage purposes are considered historic and predate the introduction of the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme for tyres. The vEMC would not therefore have been applied to them. Recognising this issue, and in advance of the introduction of the scheme, my Department provided €700,000 to help remove historic waste tyres from farms. The funding was allocated across numerous geographical locations and the budget was fully expended. While there are no immediate plans to run further collection events, the issue will be kept under consideration.

In the case of such historic tyres, the primary responsibility for the management of this waste, including costs for removal or disposal, lies with the holder of the waste, i.e. the natural or legal person in possession of the waste, or the producer of the waste. The Waste Management Act 1996 imposes a general duty of care on holders of waste. A person may not hold, transport, recover or dispose of waste in a manner that causes, or is likely to cause environmental pollution.

Environmental Schemes

Questions (57)

Richard Bruton

Question:

57. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he plans to lift the restriction under the warmer homes scheme of not revisiting homes which have previously had a shallow retrofit in view of the new Climate Plan with its target of B2 retrofits. [54816/21]

View answer

Written answers

The Better Energy Warmer Homes Scheme is funded by my Department and administered by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI). The scheme delivers a range of energy efficiency measures free of charge to lower income households vulnerable to energy poverty. To date over 143,000 homes have received free upgrades under the scheme leaving them better able to afford to heat their homes to an adequate level. During the first 6 months of 2021, the approximate average value of the energy efficiency measures provided per household was €17,100.

There are currently over 7,000 homeowners on the Warmer Homes Scheme work programme who have never received any upgrade works under the scheme. SEAI data indicates that for homes completed in the first half of 2021, the average time from application to completion was almost 26 months. The SEAI has advised me that wait times vary, based on the demand for the scheme at the time of application as well as other factors including the scale of works to be completed, access to the property, availability of materials and the weather.

Revisits under this scheme are currently not available. This enables the work programme to prioritise eligible homes that have not previously received free upgrades under the scheme. Recommendations on the implementation of changes to the scheme to better target those most in need will be finalised and published shortly.

It is important to note that the grants available through SEAI aim to maximise emission reductions and deliver energy savings for the widest range of homeowners possible. The grants which are available, and their respective eligibility criteria, were selected as the most likely to deliver significant energy savings to homeowners as well as the best value for money for the Exchequer.

Grant Payments

Questions (58)

Noel Grealish

Question:

58. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if a grant can be paid out in respect of a person (details supplied) who was not able to carry out the works prior to the grant expiry due to Covid-19 restrictions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54889/21]

View answer

Written answers

My Department funds a number of SEAI grant schemes to support homeowners to improve the energy efficiency of their properties. COVID-19 has unfortunately negatively impacted activity under SEAI retrofit schemes, particularly between January to mid-April 2021, when all schemes were paused in line with Government guidelines. Every effort has been made to maximise activity retrofit activity in the residential sector since the easing of restrictions.

Individual applications to the Better Energy Homes Scheme are an operational matter for the SEAI.  As Minister, I have no function with regard to individual grant applications. However, my officials have been in contact with SEAI in relation to the case referred to by the Deputy.  SEAI has since followed up directly on the matter with the homeowner.

Departmental Advertising

Questions (59)

Peadar Tóibín

Question:

59. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the total amount spent by his Department on advertisements, including traditional forms of advertisement and online advertising, in each of the past ten years and to date in 2021. [54906/21]

View answer

Written answers

The information requested is being compiled and will be provided to the Deputy as soon as possible

Departmental Schemes

Questions (60)

Joe Carey

Question:

60. Deputy Joe Carey asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if a project (details supplied) is eligible to apply for funding under the National Just Transition Fund; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55056/21]

View answer

Written answers

The Government is committed to a just transition in the Midlands region and has dedicated significant funding to supporting workers, companies and communities affected by the closure of the peat-fired power stations and the end of peat harvesting by Bord na Móna. The Just Transition Fund will continue to support projects across the wider Midlands region, (including east Galway, Kildare, Laois, Longford, north Tipperary, Offaly, Roscommon and Westmeath), and will have significant employment and enterprise potential. These will be in areas and sectors of the economy most impacted by the ending of peat harvesting for power generation.

  There are a range of other Exchequer funding schemes in place which can be accessed to support regional economic development. Interested organisations may wish to contact Enterprise Ireland or their Local Enterprise Office to find out more about available funding. At EU level, the European Union's Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) supports the development of Europe's transport, energy and digital services networks. Funding is awarded on a competitive basis and information on open calls under this programme and others is available on the EU's funding and tenders portal ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/home.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Questions (61)

Michael Healy-Rae

Question:

61. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications his views on the statement that methane is a short-term gas that stays in the atmosphere for ten to 12 years and that, if the national herd is stable, then, in 2022, Ireland will sequester the methane that was produced in 2010 and so on; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55058/21]

View answer

Written answers

The Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Act 2021, which legislates for and underpins the carbon budget process, provides for the special economic and social role of our agriculture sector and also the distinct characteristics of biogenic methane.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 2018 Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C increased our understanding of global carbon budgets, consistent with holding the temperature rise to 1.5°C (or 2°C). In modelled pathways to limit global warming to 1.5°C, global CO2 emissions must reach net-zero by around 2050 and non-CO2 emissions, such as methane and nitrous oxide, must show deep reductions.

The IPCC Special Report further elaborated on the distinguishing characteristics amongst different greenhouse gases (GHGs) which tells us that not all GHGs are the same, and their individual characteristics will have different Global Warming Potentials (GWP) and impacts on the atmosphere.

Methane is a potent gas, with a shorter lifespan than other GHGs. The IPCC’s Fifth Assessment Report confirms that, although methane has a short lifespan in our atmosphere at 12.4 years, it has a GWP of 28, meaning that it is 28 times more potent than carbon dioxide over a century, or 84 times more potent over two decades.

In relation to agricultural methane emissions, the scientific advice of the IPCC in their 2018 report, is that it is not necessary for biogenic methane emissions to reach net-zero to meet the Paris Agreement target, nor would this be an attainable goal.

Nevertheless is it clear that methane reductions must be made, and also it is important to note that other harmful pollutants are also produced through agricultural activities, including nitrous oxide (N2O) and ammonia (NH3) which contribute to reduced water, air, and soil quality.

Climate Change Policy

Questions (62)

Patricia Ryan

Question:

62. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will provide information on the measurable progress Ireland has made on the list of actions Ireland agreed to in the Paris Agreement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55090/21]

View answer

Written answers

Climate change remains a trans-boundary challenge that can only be addressed through committed ambition and effective multilateral cooperation at the international level. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) held its 21st Conference of the Parties in Paris in 2015. The Paris Agreement is a legally binding multilateral agreement adopted by 196 countries with the goal of limiting global temperature rise to below 2 degrees and to strive towards 1.5 degrees Celsius.

Ireland is a strong supporter of the Paris Agreement as the multilateral mechanism to drive global climate action and is committed to addressing the climate crisis by engaging in negotiations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Paris Agreement through its membership of the European Union (EU) .

Ireland is contributing to the achievement of the Paris goals, which include limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees and to helping developing and vulnerable countries mitigate the impacts of climate change. We continue to play an active and constructive role in issues linked to our climate priorities with the intention of illustrating the coherency between our international climate agenda and our domestic climate ambition. Ireland is now regarded as a leader rather than laggard by our international climate peers, based on the strength of our national effort to deal with the climate challenge.

In the Programme for Government and the Climate Act 2021, Ireland has committed to halving our greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and reaching net zero by 2050 at the latest. The Climate Action Plan is how we do it. The plan underpins Ireland’s commitment to achieving a climate neutral economy no later than 2050 and provides for a 51% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.

Electricity Generation

Questions (63)

Brendan Griffin

Question:

63. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications when a community facility (details supplied) in County Kerry that has invested in solar PV panels will get a return for its excess electricity; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55102/21]

View answer

Written answers

The Programme for Government commits to expanding and incentivising micro-generation, including solar PV, to allow electricity users, including community groups, to generate their own electricity for their own use and to sell excess electricity to the grid. The Climate Action Plan 2021 reaffirms the Government's commitment to delivering a micro-generation policy framework.  

The pending introduction of a Clean Export Guarantee (CEG)  tariff will represent the first phase of a comprehensive enabling framework for micro-and small-scale generators in Ireland, including for community facilities. This will allow them to receive remuneration from their electricity supplier for all excess renewable electricity exported to the grid, reflective of the market value of that electricity.

  The Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) published a consultation on a draft enabling framework on 1 October which outlined the details for the introduction of the Clean Export Guarantee payment. The consultation is now closed and I understand a decision is expected to be published this month and a compensation regime expected to follow shortly afterwards.  

The CRU decision will outline the eligibility criteria which must be met in order for a renewables self-consumer to be eligible to receive the CEG. It is expected that these will include having notified ESB Networks via the relevant notification form that the user has installed micro-generation and an export connection from ESB Networks.  

In addition, where the customer's meter type is eligible for upgrade under the National Smart Metering Programme (NSMP), a smart meter must be installed. Where a customer's eligible meter type has not yet been upgraded under the NSMP, the CRU proposes that a deemed or estimated export calculation will apply.

Question No. 64 answered with Question No. 56.

Waste Management

Questions (65)

Holly Cairns

Question:

65. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the way his Department will support persons with long-term incontinence with respect to the disposal of medical incontinence wear; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55170/21]

View answer

Written answers

I refer to the reply to Question No. 60 of 9 September 2021. The position is unchanged.

Coast Guard Service

Questions (66)

Thomas Pringle

Question:

66. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Transport the expected response times for call-outs for cliff rescue emergencies in the islands off the County Donegal coast, including Aran Mór, Owney and Gola Island; the way these times differ since the downgrading of the cliff rescue element of the Irish Coast Guard station based in Bunbeg, Letterkenny, County Donegal (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54817/21]

View answer

Written answers

The provision of Irish Coast Guard cliff rescue services in Donegal is currently provided by the Greencastle, Mulroy and Killybegs Coast Guard Units. There is also an ability to transport any of these three units to an island on the Sligo based Coast Guard Rescue helicopter. There are currently 17 strategically placed Coast Guard units around the coast who provide cliff rescue capabilities. There has been further development of these units in recent years with the issuing of new equipment.

A Value for Money review of the Coast Guard service, published in 2012, recommended the continuation of boat and shoreline rescue service and cessation of cliff training for the Bunbeg unit which is twinned with Tory Island. The strategic decision was to retain cliff rescue services in neighbouring CGUs, Mulroy and Killybegs.  The recommendation arose principally because of the non-utilisation of the cliff service balanced against the safety considerations of delivering a highly technical and intrinsically hazardous activity.

The Coast Guard, having monitored the demand for cliff rescue services has noted that the level of call outs responded to by Bunbeg / Tory Island CGU does not justify the maintenance of a cliff rescue service. For a CGU to engage in a high risk activity that demands a high level of resources in terms of training time, equipment and supervision, the benefits must clearly outweigh the risks. The maintenance of a cliff rescue team has been deprioritised, thus enabling the unit to concentrate on its boat rescue and shoreline search operations, which are regularly called into action. The investment which my Department has made in the Coast Guard rescue helicopter services has mitigated some of the demands for cliff rescue services.

The Coast Guard does not have unit or location specific records but continue to monitor all available data on a regular basis.

Ports Policy

Questions (67, 68, 69)

Noel Grealish

Question:

67. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Transport if Dublin Port will be used for cruise liner traffic in 2022 and 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54886/21]

View answer

Noel Grealish

Question:

68. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Transport if he will outline his strategy for utilising Ireland’s ports as a tourism development tool in the years ahead and in particular Dublin Port; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54887/21]

View answer

Noel Grealish

Question:

69. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Transport the options he has investigated for cruise liners in view of the unavailability of Dublin Port for tourism traffic; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54888/21]

View answer

Written answers

I propose to take Questions Nos. 67 to 69, inclusive, together.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, cruise vessels into ports in Ireland have not been facilitated for some time.  The Government gives continuing consideration to policy on international travel, including cruise, informed by the epidemiological situation and public health advice.  A decision on a timeline for the resumption of cruise into Ireland will be made, taking account of that information.  

Specific to Dublin Port, I have been advised that Dublin Port Company has taken bookings for 28 cruise ships in Dublin Port in 2022 and a further 67 anchoring in Dublin Bay and tendering into Dun Laoghaire Harbour.  However, the actual cruise calls to be facilitated will depend on a decision on the resumption of cruise activity. 

The Company will keep the situation under review and will be guided by wider public health requirements, risk assessments and other relevant information in deciding whether to proceed with these cruise bookings. In doing so, the Company will focus on ensuring that Dublin Port continues to fulfil its primary role of facilitating the movement of goods.  

Dublin Port Company has indicated for quite some time its changing position with regard to cruise. They are facing significant constraints on land use due to major infrastructure construction underway to provide more port capacity in the future and the provision of space for the customs, agriculture and immigration checks post Brexit.

Since 1st January 2021, there has been a significant increase in shipping services direct to the continent from a number of ports in Ireland. In Dublin Port, these direct services are using the cargo berths that were in the past used by cruise. It is clear that once cruise traffic recommences, Dublin Port will have reduced capacity for cruise ship visits in the coming seasons.

However, there is spare capacity in other ports particularly with Cobh having a dedicated cruise berth in Ireland. This ideally places them as alternative options for the cruise industry and creates opportunities for tourism activities on a regional basis.

The development of a strategy to maximise the tourist potential for cruise in Ireland is a matter for the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht Sport and Media and the tourism agencies.

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