Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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159. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will address a matter (details supplied) regarding transporting goods through the UK to mainland Europe; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3154/21]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The Government has pointed out for some time now, that from the end of the Brexit transition period, the way in which operators use the UK landbridge would change.

The UK’s accession to the Common Transit Convention (CTC) is welcome and allows EU goods to transit through the UK without undergoing full customs import and export formalities on entry and exit to/from the UK. To avail of the benefits of the CTC, there are certain new requirements, including new paperwork, as well as the need for each consignment to have a financial guarantee in place to cover the potential customs duties and other taxes at risk during the movement.

Ireland has undertaken significant political and official engagement with the European Commission and the most relevant EU Member States, including France, Belgium and the Netherlands, to ensure EU goods moving under transit via the UK landbridge are not subject to additional administrative burdens or unnecessary controls. Significant time was invested in securing an amendment to the EU Official Controls Regulation (OCR) to allow greater flexibility by national authorities on the process by which goods subject to SPS controls are notified to the Border Control Post (BCP) of re-entry to the EU.

While there are different systems in place depending on port of destination in the EU, for the vast majority of EU consignments transiting the landbridge, documentary checks will be performed electronically in advance of the consignment re-entering the EU and once the correct paperwork is in place, transit goods should be “green-routed” to leave the Port. Identity and physical checks will only be necessary where the authorities suspect non-compliance or where they have previously been required. It is therefore vital that operators have the correct administration work in place when moving goods via the landbridge.

All these additional procedures for UK landbridge operators arise as goods moving in this way are now EU goods transiting a third country. We have provided full details of all the new steps that must be undertaken on our website – www.gov.ie/brexit.

More broadly, the Government has always been very clear that the UK's decision to leave the EU, the Single Market and the Customs Union means that the seamless trade we enjoyed when the UK was a Member State is no longer possible. The Government has put significant resources in place to assist operators adjust to the new trading environment. I would urge all involved in moving goods, to from or through Great Britain to the avail of all appropriate supports.

No new rules or procedures apply to goods moving on direct routes between Ireland and the EU. Demand for direct services from Ireland to the continent remains exceptionally strong. As the Government noted in its engagement with business throughout 2020, ferry companies have responded positively to industry-led demand by putting additional capacity on direct routes. Overall, the number of ferry services running between Rosslare and mainland Europe has trebled in the last year and there has been a significant increase in overall capacity on direct routes.