Delay to terminal opening will cost business millions

BUSINESSES in the southern region stand to lose hundreds of millions of euro if there is any long delay in opening the Port of Cork’s proposed container terminal in Ringaskiddy, it was warned yesterday.

The port’s commercial manager, Captain Michael McCarthy, said it was vital the Government provides funding to the NRA to upgrade the Cork-Ringaskiddy road (N28), so it can handle the volume of traffic generated by a new €226 million terminal.

The NRA has told a Bord Pleanála oral hearing into the port project that, at best, funding for the N28 upgrade would not be available until 2011 while construction would take two years to complete.