Ministers meet supply chain stakeholders in ongoing effort to facilitate alternatives to Dublin-Holyhead freight services
- Foilsithe: 23 Nollaig 2024
- An t-eolas is déanaí: 23 Nollaig 2024
Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan, Minister of State James Lawless, and Department of Transport officials met this morning with stakeholders in the freight, supply chain, ports and maritime sectors. This meeting was part of continuous and ongoing efforts across the department to facilitate new services to replace the Dublin-Holyhead services to the greatest extent possible. The government is treating the closure of Holyhead Port with absolute priority.
This morning’s meeting included representatives from a wide range of organisations including the Irish Road Haulage Association, Freight Transport Association Ireland, Irish Exporters Association, IBEC food drink and retail representatives, Irish International Freight Association, and the Dublin and Rosslare Port Harbourmasters.
The focus remains on securing viable additional routes and vessels with sufficient capacity to support the steady movement of both goods and people between Ireland and the UK during the period of Holyhead Port closure.
A number of additional routes and services have been put in place: Dublin to Liverpool, Dublin to Heysham, Dublin to Fishguard and from Belfast to Cairnryan which has created additional capacity to compensate for the losses through Holyhead. We are working hard with operators and governments to establish further routes that can accommodate passenger and freight demand.
Regarding the call for financial supports, while the damage arising from the closure of Holyhead Port has significant impacts and causes disruption for affected hauliers and shippers, it does not affect all hauliers in Ireland.
It will take some time to establish the precise impacts of the Holyhead Port closure across the sector and determine an appropriate response.
Speaking after the meeting, Minister Ryan said:
“I would like to thank everyone involved, both here and in the UK, for working so hard over the past few weeks to ensure that freight and passengers could be delivered for Christmas.
“Our department will continue to monitor the situation over the holidays. Our key focus is on ensuring that there is a resilient solution to the difficulties caused by the damage to Holyhead Port. We will continue to work with the UK and Welsh governments to help secure additional berths in alternative ports, and we expect to get clarity on the state of play at Holyhead from Stena by mid-January.
“As we assess the impact of this situation, the one thing we all need is clear, accurate and real-time information so that we can respond quickly and appropriately to keep goods and people flowing between our two countries.”
Minister Lawless said:
“We greatly appreciate all who have come together to face this challenge both here at home, in Wales and in the wider UK. We continue to work on solutions that will keep us connected throughout the Christmas season and beyond.
“I would like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to the outstanding effort of all in the freight, logistics and supply chain industries – including hauliers, drivers, freight forwarders, port workers, retail organisations and all supply chain workers - who have pulled out all the stops to keep the wheels of industry rolling at this crucial time.”