Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I would not underestimate the problems the delays might cause. That is possibly the largest problem. Neither would I underestimate our capacity to solve the problem. That is what we are actually doing. The strong view of shipping companies and the Department is that the State should not intervene directly at this time. There would be all sorts of state aid and other implications, which would be very traumatic. There have been responses from the shipping companies. CLdN launched a new roll-on, roll-off, Ro-Ro, freight ferry, the MV Celine, with a capacity of 8,000 lane metres, on the Rotterdam-Zeebrugge-Dublin route in October 2017. The Port of Cork has a new route, since May 2018, operated by Brittany Ferries to Santander. We also have the W.B. Yeats. That is a considerable increase in capacity and evidence of competition on the routes. Shipping services are market driven and ferry operators have in the past responded to economic developments by increasing or decreasing capacity. Any new initiative to enhance shipping services will continue to be market driven. Where they see a gap, they will fill it.