Mr. Lorcan O'Connor:

It is difficult when one is talking to other people. Carroll's Ireland operates in Cork, Dublin and Belfast and, as such, we get three bites of the cherry. We get the ship at Cork, Dublin and Belfast, which is hugely beneficial. We talk to local people in Cork and Belfast and there is a feeling that because ships have always stopped at Cobh and Belfast, they will continue to do so. We will be as happy as anybody else if we could keep the same amount of business in Cork and Belfast. The reality, however, is that the cruise companies are saying that Dublin is where it is at. People have to fly into an international airport. If they fly from the United States into Dublin Airport, using the port tunnel they can be in the port and checking in to board the ship within 20 minutes. This is a huge selling point for cruise companies. People flying into London, for example, have a two-hour train or bus journey down to Southampton.

We need honest answers. If the company is saying it wants to actively grow the cruise business, why close down all the cruise social media and leave all of the cruise organisations? It is like when someone renovates a shop and does not want to annoy the store's customers. The owner will want to keep them on board and ensure they come back to the business. In this case, one would expect someone from Dublin Port to fly out to talk to the cruise companies face to face. My understanding, however, is that the cruise companies got an email stating the new position and informing them that their costs would be doubled for the next two years.