Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I did not hear the relevant provisions. There should be a provision for capacity, which is currently on the UK side, to be diverted in the event that the UK carries on in the way it did in the past week and reneges on the common transit convention. The convention means that businesses must put financial guarantees in place just for the privilege of crossing the UK. If it will take three hours to travel 1.8 km, as was the case yesterday, that effectively will mean the drivers' regulation will be kaput and the land bridge will be defunct. I am asking the Taoiseach why we have not invested the necessary €100 million or €150 million in Rosslare Europort to safeguard €18 billion in trade. That investment should be made to put direct ferry services in and build a port of the future at the most strategic port in the country in order to get goods to mainland Europe and circumvent that three-hour delay. It would mean that drivers would have certainty in their planning. As a result of the driving regulations, they must plan every minute of their day from the time they leave the meat factory or fishing port. They have a 15-hour period within which to start and finish driving. The three-hour delay experienced yesterday meant that drivers spent nine or ten extra hours in the UK. That is putting trade and jobs at risk. Rather than supporting businesses, the Government is putting them at risk. By failing to make provision for a daily service, we are putting ourselves in the hands of the UK. It will be able to pull the rug out from under us and tell us we will not be able to use the land bridge. I am asking the Taoiseach to make provision for direct daily services immediately.

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