Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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157. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the number of calls that have been made to his Department’s Brexit helpline for freight shipping procedures at Dublin Port; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1106/21]

Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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158. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the number of calls that have been made to his Department’s Brexit helpline for freight shipping procedures at Rosslare Port; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1107/21]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 157 and 158 together.

The Department has established a Brexit email address Brexit@transport.gov.ie for queries from stakeholders and members of the public. Enquiries to this mailbox since 1 January 2021 have been received from 11 stakeholders and individuals.

Since the end of the transition period officials of the Department have been in direct communication with our stakeholders daily to gather information on any difficulties they may be experiencing in relation to the movement of goods both at Dublin Port and Rosslare Europort. Communications channels are well established between the appropriate officials and their stakeholders, be it the shipping companies or the haulage and logistics representative bodies.

The Department has encouraged all of our stakeholders to contact the Department with any issues that they encounter. Furthermore last week Minister Naughton held meetings with all of the ferry companies, the Irish Road Haulage Association (IRHA), the Freight Transport Association of Ireland (FTAI) and both Dublin Port Company and Rosslare Europort to hear first-hand their experiences in this new trading environment.

My officials have established stakeholder engagement forums with the shipping companies and also with the haulage and logistics representative bodies that currently meets weekly.  The relevant State Agencies also participate in these fora.