Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses and apologise for missing the start. I was at a meeting of another committee at which a number of votes were to be held today, so Deputy Mythen substituted for me for part of this meeting. We have raised a number of these issues with the Minister, for example, the demand for additional ferry crossings. The Minister has told us either that there is no demand or that it is up to the hauliers to contact the ferry companies to outline their needs. What we are hearing with regard to the Irish Maritime Development Office, IMDO, report is significant. There were criticisms of it and we have heard confirmation from Mr. Coffey. We had representatives of the ports before the committee and they had a list of things they wanted to see happen. The first thing they wanted was staggered arrival times. They said this could not be secured because they had been told the hauliers wanted it that way. It seems we are hearing about the same problems from different groups but they are not being resolved. It is almost as if those conversations are happening with us or with Government rather than between the parties involved.

What do the witnesses believe is the proper forum in which to thrash out these issues? Who are the responsible authorities? Mr. Drennan mentioned State agencies. What are the agencies who need to hear this message loud and clear? What needs to happen between now and the end of the year or the early part of the new year to straighten this stuff out? I would appreciate the witnesses' opinions on those matters.

I have a couple of other specific issues I wish to raise. People may have an idea what will happen early in the new year. With specific regard to a Covid-19 vaccine, are there threats to logistics as regards cold transit? Are there threats to the logistics in that regard? There is also the issue of just-in-time delivery for fresh goods. I have a family connection with regard to livestock. With regard to livestock haulage, we see queues of 15 km or 20 km in other places. What are the considerations or risks in that regard from the witnesses' perspective? My principal questions, however, are those I asked earlier. What needs to happen? What does Government need to hear from the representative groups here today and who else needs to hear from them? What needs to happen in the coming weeks?