Naoise Ó Muirí (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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147. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport for an update on the progress to fully reopen Holyhead port to facilitate the movement of freight. [7637/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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Holyhead Port in North Wales was closed to all maritime traffic from 7 December 2024 to 15 January 2025 following significant damage to the port’s infrastructure at the Terminal 3 ferry berth, including to the concrete pile, platform, and connecting walkway. This necessitated the closure of the port, which also included its Terminal 5 ferry berth, by the port's operators, Stena Line Ports Ltd, to undertake a full structural assessment of the berths.

The Dublin to Holyhead ferry route is of strategic importance to Ireland, which route had over a hundred sailings (with an average of 52 departures/ 52 arrivals) each week prior to the disruption. The Dublin to Holyhead route comprises 34% of Roll On- Roll Off (RoRo) freight traffic moving between Ireland and Great Britain over the calendar year.?Notwithstanding the impacts of Brexit on trade flows, as well as goods going to and from the UK, it remains an important route for Irish goods destined for the EU market via the ‘UK land bridge’.

My Department’s response to the closure of Holyhead Port in December last year focused on working with Welsh and UK government colleagues, both at official and political level, and with the port operators and the shipping lines to put in place alternative and additional shipping capacity to replace the lost Holyhead sailings. These efforts were successful, with additional capacity provided on Dublin routes to Liverpool, Heysham, Fishguard and Pembroke. Extra capacity was also placedon the Belfast to Cairnryan route.

The result was that ferry passengers travelling between Ireland and Britain over the Christmas period in 2024 were accommodated and freight movements continued, although with some delays and diversions. There was no evidence however of any gaps in essential supply chains for food, medical supplies/medicine or manufacturing inputs.

The re-opening of one of the two berths in Holyhead Port, the Terminal 5 ferry berth, on 16 January 2025 has seen a return to previous levels of service from both Irish Ferries and Stena Line using the berth at staggered intervals. Furthermore, the staggered sailings now provide more flexibility to the Irish haulage sector using this ferry route in terms of timing, which has been recognised by them as a positive outcome.

The operators of Holyhead Port issued a statement on 17 February 2025 on progress on the restoration of the damaged Terminal 3 ferry berth. Their estimate at that time is that this second berth is due for reopening on 1 July 2025.

The Welsh Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales, Mr. Ken Skates MS (Member of the Senedd) had previously written to Ministers Ryan and Lawless, following the closure of Holyhead Port, to signal his intention to establish a task force to examine the future of Holyhead Port and he asked for Ireland’s contribution to same.

My Department has now received the draft Terms of Reference of the Welsh task force, which document is being examined by the Department at the request of Minister Skates. My Department will provide feedback to the Welsh Government as appropriate and will recommend that the task force should allow for all relevant Irish stakeholders including Irish ports and Ireland's freight and logistics sector to have an opportunity to engage with it in a meaningful manner.

Minister O’Brien will meet with Minister Skates when Minister Skates visits Dublin on 7 March 2025. Minister Skates has also indicated that he intends in this visit to meet with other Irish stakeholders in the freight and logistics sector as an initial step in garnering views to contribute to the work of the Welsh Government task force.