Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I will be brief. As the Deputy will know, having asked questions on this issue before, there has been significant consultation between my Department and the Department with responsibility for transport, which has had an ongoing dialogue with ferry companies.

There is intense competition among ferry companies on the routes between Britain and Ireland. In addition, there has been significant increased capacity in terms of direct ferry routes between Ireland and the rest of the EU. That capacity has already been coming on stream and ferry companies have invested heavily in it. It was in this context that the companies did not want subsidised routes, given the amount of investment they have made in new ships and so on. That being said, we need to continue to focus on this issue, particularly given the uncertainty in regard to Brexit, because supply chains and access are something we must have contingency around should we need it. We will continue to talk to the ferry companies in this regard.

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