Mr. Eugene Drennan:

------or the Polish border on Monday morning.

The other concession we are seeking, which is major but simple in my book, is that part of the ports we arrive into with direct ferries would either be physically or virtually designated as part of Ireland. The French allow the English through the border control in Calais where part of the Calais port is deemed exempt for border force reasons and the movement of people. The French gave the English part of the port to ease the burden of controls and for efficiencies. That has been the case for 25 or 30 years. We want this because when a trailer travels to one of the direct ferries unaccompanied, the French treat the Irish haulier picking up his own trailer with an Irish load as the first movement of cabotage. Therefore, we are examined and we are only allowed one other movement. Then, we have to leave the country. We have drivers at sea. If that was virtually or partially designated to be accepted as Ireland - it could be the size of this room or a postal address or whatever - it would be for regulatory reasons.

There are other rules that kick in in the posting of drivers, the tachograph rules and the length of time a person can spend in a country. They kick in and we have to leave once every two weeks, at least. It would stop drivers having to sail 18 to 22 hours into Rosslare to pick up a trailer to sail out again. They are nearly on sailing trips and luxury sailing trips more than they are driving. Our proposal would lead to cost efficiencies as we would not have the driver charge or the front of the truck or tractor unit costs on the meterage for the ferry. The efficiency of the timeline of delivery and all sorts of general efficiencies are evident. Although the French helped us politically in all our negotiations around Brexit and what-not, again, it is about separating the political from the commercial. They are very slow to come to the commercial world in case we infringe on their businesses.

On the green agenda, the French are interested in intermodal trade by picking up the trailer and taking it by train. That is very relevant. It is also about having inter-arrangements with hauliers here. All of that is good for a portion of the business but for much of our business, we need timely delivery and surety of delivery. We must have the trailer returned efficiently and we must have safety on damage. Companies here want us to accompany very valuable goods and they want those goods to be under our control. We cannot farm them out to a third party.

Where those efficiencies are in place and there is intermodal connectivity to the port, we can look at it. We use this for fruit coming out of southern Italy and southern Spain, which is seasonal, if the train is efficient and connected to the port. That is the mode that is in place and we will use it. Even at a higher cost, the efficiencies are in that, and there is also the safety of carbon. There is only a portion involved in it, but there are savings on those two regulatory items in the cost of fines. Drivers do not want to be stopped and fined and held up by the gendarmerie or English policemen all over the place. We have to mind them as best we can. It is very relevant.