The inclusion of Galway Port as part of an EU transport network plan will clear the way for the facility to apply for major European funding grants over the coming years, it was confirmed this week.

Earlier this month, there was agreement at the EU’s Transport Council meeting in Brussels that the Port of Galway would be included as part of an all-embracing transport plan for countries in the European Union.

Galway Port will now be part of what’s called the TEN-T strategy which will involve the development of a network of roads, railways, airports and water infrastructure across the EU.

TEN-T stands for the Trans-European Transport Network and is a strategy developed between the European Parliament and the EU Commission – Galway now joins Dublin and Cork with an ‘urban nodes’ designation.

Minister of State at the Department of Transport and Galway West TD, Hildegarde Naughton, said that as well as the port, the TEN-T designation would also be a very positive development for inter-city and regional rail links to and from the city.

She explained that the draft regulations would now set out an EU-wide network of rail, inland waterways, shipping routes, roads, ports, airports, and freight terminals as well as the requirements for infrastructure on this network. Galway will be eligible to apply for funding under the EU’s Connecting Europe Facility.

Port of Galway CEO, Conor O’Dowd, told the Galway City Tribune this week that the inclusion of Galway Port in the TEN-T strategy, was a very important one.

“First of all, it enhances the status of the port at national, EU and international level and secondly it will allow the port to apply for funding under the Connecting Europe strategy,” said Mr O’Dowd.

He said that a crucial part of the inclusion of Galway Port in TEN-T was its role as a hub in recyclable energy projects, most notably as regards wind turbines.
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