Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent)
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67. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the status of the possibility of having Rosslare harbour and the Rosslare to Connolly railway line incorporated into the TENtec core Atlantic corridor as a countermeasure to the effects of Brexit and the disconnection of the North Sea Mediterranean corridor; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21961/17]

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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My Department is considering the potential transport implications of Brexit, including the implications for the connectivity of the North Sea Mediterranean Corridor (NSMED).  To be part of NSMED, the transport infrastructure would need firstly to be on the Core Network of the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T). Rosslare Port and the Dublin to Rosslare rail line form part of the Comprehensive Network but are not on the Core Network.

 TEN-T is established under EU Regulation 1315/2013. The TEN-T network comprises the Comprehensive and Core Network, with the latter being the most strategic elements of the Comprehensive Network. On the Island of Ireland, the Core Network comprises the routes between Belfast, Dublin and Cork with a spur to Limerick and Shannon Foynes Port. In Dublin and Cork, the Core Network includes ports and airports.  The Core Network is essentially the transport links between core nodes. In the case of Ireland, these nodes are the cities of Dublin, Cork and the maritime node of Shannon Foynes Port. In Northern Ireland, the only node on the Core Network is Belfast. To be a core port under the TEN-T Regulations, a port would need to meet criteria specified in European Commission planning methodology guidelines, including having 1% of European passenger or freight transhipment volumes per year. Rosslare does not meet this threshold. The Regulations provide that where a port meets the threshold after the coming into effect of the Regulations, the port can be considered for designation as a port on the Core Network.

Brexit offers many challenges to the port and logistics sectors. In stakeholder consultations, the implications for the UK landbridge route was identified due to the significent portion of goods that transit the UK to EU and wider markets. The possibility of enhanced or alternative direct maritime routes to the EU and wider international markets has been raised.  As a result, a study is being planned to assess the implications for Irish trade of the UK Landbridge route and the current transport routes to EU and wider markets. The terms of reference of the Study are currently being finalised.  Under the Programme for Partnership Government I will be making a submission to the European Commission in the near future on the TEN-T Core Network in relation to the west and north west of Ireland. The submission was planned for late 2016 but is held pending consideration by my Department on the emerging implications of Brexit for these regions and wider in order that these implications can be reflected in the submission where relevant.

 My officials will continue to work with the maritime sector and with other stakeholders to identify the implications of Brexit and also the potential options for addressing Ireland's future international connectivity.