Mr. Aidan Coffey:

On 2 January 2021, the DFDS will commence sailings on a new ferry route between Rosslare Europort and the port of Dunkirk in northern France. The route will be serviced by three ferries, each with a capacity of in the region of 125 lorries, both accompanied and unaccompanied.

DFDS Seaways Ireland was proud to announce this morning that the route will commence with the chartered ships MS Visbyand MV Kerry, along with our own DFDS ship, Optima Seaways. The route will initially be serviced with six weekly departures from each port, with a crossing time of 23 hours and 50 minutes. From the outset, this will predominantly be seen as a freight service, reserving all cabins for freight drivers because the route has been initiated to support the Irish industry. After Covid-19, however, we might open up to accommodating passengers.

A new company, DFDS Seaways Ireland Limited, has been formed under the stewardship of the DFDS A/S umbrella in Denmark to develop this essential route to give direct connectivity between Ireland and mainland Europe after Brexit. DFDS has 154 years of experience in international shipping. It has a very large team of industry professionals on hand as it develops the new direct service.

We at DFDS are extremely pleased to offer customers in Ireland the opportunity to transport goods directly to or from other EU countries without the customs formalities and possible waiting times that the end of the Brexit transition period will bring about for the road haulage industry. The route will be registered as a regular shipping service, ensuring all goods transported remain within the Single Market and customs union. Over the past nine months, we have carried out extensive market research in all areas, including volume, capacity, speed, frequency and, most important, location of ports. Both Rosslare Europort and the port of Dunkirk were selected for their strategic locations, accessibility and preparedness for Brexit, with both having systems in place to ensure direct free-flowing access for Europe-bound traffic.

Timing and frequency are important because, upon arrival in Dunkirk or Rosslare, drivers will be fully rested, will be able to continue driving immediately and will be able to reach their many major destinations within their legal driving limit. In addition, the sea voyage will reduce the dependency on the UK land bridge and open direct opportunities for trade within the EU Single Market. Since the announcement of our service on 27 November 2020, we have received many inquiries and bookings because many manufacturers and producers, along with haulage industry professionals, are looking for new direct routes to mainland Europe while keeping their goods within the Single Market. The new line will create jobs and activities in Rosslare and Cork, where DFDS will be represented by new offices, and in Dunkirk. In Ireland, the route will be led by me, as route director, and Mr. Darren Mooney, as sales and customer service director. We are extremely grateful for the support we have received from the port of Rosslare, namely from the general manager, Mr. Glenn Carr, and his team, and from the port of Dunkirk. Their flexibility, professionalism and excellent co-operation have enabled us to be ready with this service before the end of the transition period at the end of the year. We are confident the service will benefit customers on both sides of the route. We acknowledge the assistance of the Department of Transport, the Customs and Excise, the Revenue Commissioners, An Garda and the Irish Road Haulage Association to date in helping us to bring this service to fruition in such a short period.

We look forward to continuing to work with them in the coming weeks as we prepare for the launch on 2 January. I thank the Chairman and committee members for the opportunity to make this statement and for acknowledging the importance of the transport sector to the economy.