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

I have spoken to hauliers and haulage companies on this. There are a range of issues they are concerned about, including being able to get on ferries in terms of direct ferry routes, and we have seen a dramatic increase in the capacity of multiple ferry operators from Irish Ferries to Stena Line to Brittany Ferries and two or three other operators, That situation has improved and continues to get better in terms of increased capacity on direct routes.

Hauliers that are operating between the UK and Ireland are facing challenges, although I believe they are overcoming them as the days go by. We should focus predominantly on responding and adjusting to the new realities, working with Revenue, which is available 24-7 for advice and support for haulage companies and exporters in terms of helping them get their paperwork in order. Nobody wants to be holding a trailer for two or three days and to have the disruption, inconvenience and cost of that.

We have a legal obligation here. This is not something that we are doing because we want to do it politically. The rules of trade are clear. We have a legal agreement that we have to comply with to protect our place in the EU Single Market and its integrity. What we are dealing with now are the consequences of British Government choices in terms of the kind of Brexit it has chosen to negotiate and deliver. In terms of looking for flexibility, we will do that within certain parameters. Revenue has shown flexibility already in regard to safety certificates, for example, but there is only so much flexibility it can show. The honest message that we have to get across here today is that companies have got to adjust to the new realities, although it is somewhat difficult, rather than pretending that there is a magic political solution to put all this off for six months to give everybody more time. That is very unlikely to happen.

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