Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 14 February 2019
224. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he has undertaken a review of alternative routes other than from Dublin and Rosslare for businesses to enter the EU market directly in the event of there being a hard Brexit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7467/19]
View answerDublin and Rosslare ports handle almost all of Ireland’s Roll-on / Roll-Off (“RoRo”) traffic destined for the UK market or using the UK landbridge. As such these ports, and shipping services from these ports, will remain of crucial importance to Ireland in the event of a hard Brexit.
My Department has examined the maritime capacity for direct sailings between Ireland and continental EU ports as a potential alternative route for trade currently using the Landbridge. Based on consultations with the shipping sector and wider, the preliminary assessment is that sufficient capacity will be available on direct routes to continental ports from end March 2019.
My Department has also established that there is capacity in ports other than Dublin and Rosslare that could be of some assistance in the event of a hard Brexit. The main spare capacity available in 2019 is in relation to Lift-on/ Lift -off (LO-LO), in particular at the ports of Waterford, Shannon Foynes, and Cork, and for bulk, rather than in respect of Roll-on / Roll-off traffic. However, shipping services are market driven and I believe that ferry operators will respond to economic developments and increase or decrease capacity from particular ports in response to market developments. There have already been responses from the shipping companies adding additional freight capacity on direct sailings to the continent, for example, the Port of Cork saw the addition of a new route in May 2018 with Brittany Ferries’ commencing the service to Santander and Roscoff with the Connemara, whose capacity is 27,414 GT.
