Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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22. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the status of infrastructure works at Dublin Port given anticipated custom changes as a result of Brexit; if there is sufficient land; the effect this will have for the other activities of the port and its land use; and the additional impacts expected on surrounding local infrastructure - for example, the port tunnel and access points to the port from various directions. [35789/20]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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As a consequence of Brexit, additional infrastructure will be required for customs, SPS and health checks and controls at our ports and airport. Since 2018, detailed work has been underway across Government, led by the Department for Public Expenditure and Reform, to invest in the infrastructure, systems, and staffing required for additional checks and controls for trade with Great Britain at Dublin Port, Rosslare Europort and Dublin Airport.

I am advised by the OPW that the current works in Dublin Port are continuing and that handover of additional facilities will commence in the next fortnight.

Once again, I am advised by the OPW that when finished, it is expected that the facilities will meet all the requirements of the relevant State agencies. Undoubtedly the additional regulatory controls required post transition will mean that a proportion of traffic will remain within the port for a longer period that has been the case to date. However, the aim of all the State Agencies and the Dublin Port Company is to ensure minimal disruption to the ongoing operations at the Port.

It must be acknowledged that Dublin Port Company has made lands available to State services with an area of 14.6 hectares. This is approximately 6% of the total land area of Dublin Port. Dublin Port Company has advised that this loss does not have a significant immediate impact on the day to day operations of the port but it does have implications for the future provision of additional capacity.

In a situation where Dublin Port Company is developing Dublin Port to reach its ultimate capacity by 2040, the loss of large areas of port land as a result of Brexit creates a challenge to accommodate anticipated future growth. That being said, Dublin Port Company will continue to work with the OPW to manage land use as the new trading arrangements and border inspection services bed in.

In light of the potential for Brexit-related traffic congestion at the Port to impact on adjacent roads, the Port Tunnel, and the motorway system a Traffic Management Group, chaired by the Department of Transport and including representatives of Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), Dublin City Council (DCC), An Garda Siochána (AGS), OPW, Revenue Commissioners and Dublin Port Company (DPC) was established. The Groups’ remit was to consider the potential knock-on impacts on city traffic management originally in a no-deal scenario.

This Traffic Management Group had developed a no-deal contingency plan which defined the roles of the various agencies and the associated communications strategy and operational plan outlining the options and actions required to mitigate impacts on the road network.

This plan is now being updated to take into account developments that have occurred in the intervening period and details of the Plan will be published when completed.