Mr. David McArdle:

I thank the members for this opportunity. Most exports have moved to direct route ferries due to the uncertainty of delivery times and travel through the UK. The level of goods in Dublin Port is down to 30% of pre-Christmas volumes. This is due to a mixture of stockpiling and the cumbersome nature of importing goods into Ireland.

There has been a loss of connectivity from the UK to Ireland through Dublin Port and Rosslare Europort due to the move by hauliers and customers to direct ferries. Some ferry operators have removed services at weekends because of the direct ferries. This week, one ferry company removed its full week's service from Rosslare to Pembroke or Fishguard. Dublin Port is suffering a lack of space due to the agencies taking up a sizeable amount of land for their terminals. The agencies being Revenue, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the HSE. The port is lacking room for bulk cargo, car transporters and drop trailers. The container depots have not opened for longer periods, as requested, to help alleviate traffic, nor have the main ferries moved their times to help facilitate the issues associated with customs.

The new systems for the pre-boarding notification, PBN, new requirements for safety and security declarations and import and export declarations are not working effectively. It is clear that neither the Irish authorities nor industry took an opportunity to trial the new systems before they came into effect. Consequently, the new systems have been overloaded and goods are being blocked and delayed. Licensed hauliers, as carriers of the goods, have borne the brunt of these disruptions.

The IT systems being employed by the Irish authorities are not working and require substantial revision to ensure they can be effective at clearing the backlog of goods stuck in the system and preventing such problems occurring again. The system is being challenged at a time when import and export levels are lower than normal due to pre-December stockpiling. The systems will collapse entirely once trade volumes are restored. It is deeply frustrating that despite the long lead into Brexit, the systems and approaches being operated by the Irish authorities to manage post-Brexit trade are not fit for purpose and are frustrating rather than facilitating trade.

There are a number of specific measures that could be introduced to address the current crisis. These include: co-ordination between the different systems being operated by the Irish authorities. There are alarming indications that the systems, ICT and otherwise, being operated by the Revenue Commissioners and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine are not working in tandem; new protocols and procedures should be applied at the Irish ports to work with and support those involved in the transport of goods. At present there is very limited communication or information being provided and a distinct lack of engagement at all levels; review processes to address the imposition of unnecessary and repetitive checks on goods being imported to Ireland. A risk-based approach to inspections is needed to prevent unnecessary blockages to the trade in goods. There is a distinct lack of oversight of the operations of the different Irish authorities in the ports with no central entity or office assessing how each of the Irish agencies are responding to Brexit. Consequently, the current problems being experienced are not being diagnosed and addressed. Given the lack of preparedness of the Irish authorities for Brexit, some form of adjustment period will be required to allow them to get their systems and processes working effectively.

Licensed hauliers have to meet a plethora of new protocols and requirements to keep goods moving, including securing some or all of the following: a master reference number, MRN; a pre-boarding notification, PBN; an entry summary declaration number, ENS, for safety and security; a transit accompanying document, TAD; an export safety and security declaration, EXS; customs checks, Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine checks; and HSE checks.

That concludes my opening statement. I thank the members for their time.