Mr. Glenn Carr:

We are undertaking a great deal of consultation on our rail freight strategy directly with industry. Not to dispute the figures cited earlier, but there is a large amount of activity outside of Dublin. Most of our exporters are in agricultural or food, which is not a business in the Dublin area. Trade is moving that way. We have seen a large shift in trade in the likes of fish, fresh produce and just-in-time products, which are essential for Irish and European markets.

The downside of Brexit has been trade with the UK. We have seen a significant drop in that respect. Although it will not return to any real extent, we are seeing a small rebound. The positive news on the UK front has to do with passenger traffic. Currently, we are at nearly 90% of pre-Covid levels of tourist and other passenger traffic. We went from six to 36 ferries and we are now serving Bilbao, Cherbourg, Le Havre, Dunkirk and Zeebrugge. Bar Zeebrugge, each of those will offer passenger services this summer. This is essential for our connection with our EU neighbours and the UK. It brings in money and activity.

The UK freight routes will remain challenging. We are two years in and it is evident that there has been a significant shift in supply, not just into the UK, but directly with Europe, with supply chains having shifted across various industries.