Ports facing capacity crisis, says exporters' boss

Ireland’s national ports are facing a capacity crisis, Irish Exporters Association boss John Whelan has warned.

"From Drogheda in the north, to Cork in the south, the commercial port sector has insufficient capacity to handle the projected Lo-Lo (Lift on/Lift off) and Ro-Ro (Roll on/Roll off) traffic through our ports.

"However, by far, Dublin Port is facing the greatest capacity shortfall due to become critical by 2007 at the latest," he said.

"The Irish Exporters Association believes port congestion will prove to be the single biggest challenge facing Irish export industry over the coming years. Backlogged exports, inefficient road haulage and disgruntled customers will inevitably constrain exports to zero growth unless we see urgent action in terms of port development."