Mr. Graham Doyle:

-----and Senator Daly referenced his colleague on this issue, it is owned by Iarnród Éireann and is operated and managed as a division of that company which is a commercial State body. Iarnród Éireann completed a detailed report on the development potential of Rosslare in recent times. It has a €15 million plan to transform the port, and that has been approved by the board. We met Iarnród Éireann and the management of the port prior to Christmas. That involved all elements of the Department which can interact with the port, from the issue of roads to the port to the maritime issues to Brexit issues. Separately, there will be a significant amount of investment in State facilities at the port. That will show a significant commitment by the Government also. I cannot give the Chairman a figure on that. Investment in the port and in some of its facilities is a matter for the company and it is looking at raising that capital and making that planned investment.

In the context of Brexit, additional customs checks, agriculture, sanitary and phytosanitary checks and health controls will be required when the UK leaves the EU. Certainly, Rosslare is one of the key locations where that impact is felt, the others being mainly Dublin Port and Dublin Airport, particularly in the handling of ro-ro traffic. As the Senator will be aware, there are plans under way. The Government is looking at myriad possible Brexit outcomes and considering planning underneath all of those. It has been planning under a central case scenario, which does not look a million miles from what was voted on in Westminster, and obviously the no-deal scenario. Regardless of whether we are talking temporarily or in terms of permanent facilities required at Rosslare, that is being co-ordinated across Government with the various Departments, the client Departments being the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, the Department of Health and the Revenue Commissioners. Facilities are being planned and acted upon in terms of bringing them to bear by the Office of Public Works. This Department is very much playing its role in ensuring that the affected ports, Rosslare being one of the main three, and airports are co-operating in full, identifying locations, providing land where they have it or helping source land where it is zoned by others.

Under the central case scenario, in terms of the facilities for the end of a transition period, we would be looking to put in place significant parking facilities for trucks in Rosslare, inspection bays to carry out control checks, a dedicated border control post for live animals, and accommodation space for customs, agriculture and health officials. Aside from the port's own investment in the facilities that are required, I expect the State's investment will be higher. That is a vote of confidence in Rosslare Port and its importance.