Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Everything that the Taoiseach has said is misinformed. The IMDO is not informing the Government; it is misinforming it. The IMDO says there is enough capacity on the direct route but I will inform the Taoiseach what happened on Saturday. Eight vehicles were left behind on the pier in Rosslare Europort. I happened to be there. It happened because the ship that should be in Rosslare is anchored off Holyhead because the crew have Covid and it is quarantined for two weeks. These are the issues that the IMDO do not inform the Taoiseach about. This is not the real world in here; out there is. The supply chain is going to be damaged irreparably if the Government does not take action and use the connectivity fund that we were told could be used if Brexit had a detrimental effect on certain sectors. It is not even our money. It is being provided by Europe for the atrocity that Brexit will visit upon us. We do not have direct ferries to the closest possible port. We have ro-ro ferries that sail twice a week.

All of the other ships that the IMDO are reporting on are in excess of that length of traffic. The sailing from Rosslare to Cherbourg is 18 hours. The sailing from Dublin to Zeebrugge is 38 hours. That is not an efficient, effective alternative.

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