Truckers call for emergency trials at roads to Irish ports to plan for Brexit crash-out

Real-time exercises  required to test plans for access to Irish ports to prepare for Brexit disruption

Freight trucks arrive at Dublin Port. Picture: PA Photo. 

The Government will need to scramble and run emergency trials for trucks entering Dublin, Rosslare, and Cork ports, as the risks of a crash-out Brexit ratchet up, the head of a major Irish hauliers group has warned. 

Aidan Flynn, general manager at Freight Transport Association of Ireland, said the real-time exercises will be required to test plans for access to Irish ports to prepare for Brexit disruption. 

British authorities from 2019 carried out real trials for parking of trucks on the M20 motorway leading to Dover Port in preparation for a hard Brexit and similar exercises will be required in Ireland too, Mr Flynn said.  

Aidan Flynn, general manager of Freight Transport Association Ireland.

He said traffic management at Dublin Port, which serves the entire island, was welcome but that a single authority will be needed to take overall control.

It comes as jitters over the outcome of the Brexit talks increased ahead of Sunday's deadline. The EU said it would seek to get the UK to agree to a contingency plan should the talks fail to allow planes, trucks, and fisheries to continue over an interim period but said it continues "to do its utmost to reach a mutually beneficial agreement". The Commission said it wants to ensure agreement on "basic" air and road connectivity for six months and to have a contingent agreement to cover fisheries through 2021.

'Gravely concerned'

Business group, the British Irish Chamber said it was "gravely concerned" and that 400,000 jobs relying on UK-Irish trade could be affected in some way should the talks fail. “With 97% or 98% of a deal reported to be in place, it would be a great failure for diplomacy if this critical deal falls at the last hurdle,” said the head of the business group, John McGrane.

Currency and stock market traders were unnerved by the impasse and sterling slid to 91.1 pence against the euro as the deadline for the talks draws closer. However, the UK currency has still not fallen back to its previous lows of the past four years, a sign that traders are still anticipating some sort of last-minute compromise.

   

The shares of Irish companies most exposed to a weakening of sterling and to Brexit disruption fell sharply. AIB and Bank of Ireland slid by 4% and 2.5%, with Thursday's losses eroding the strong gains for Irish companies in recent weeks driven by the Covid-19 vaccines. 

Housebuilders Cairn Homes and Glenveagh Properties slid by 4% and 2.5%, Ryanair shares fell 2%, and Irish Ferries-owner ICG shed 2.7%. In London, IAG, which owns Aer Lingus and British Airways, fell by around 1%. Nonetheless, stock markets were supported by renewed optimism over US stimulus talks, said Joshua Majon at online broker IG though "after a somewhat tumultuous day that saw Brexit disappointment and ECB changes dominate the European session".

"With the pound currently stronger than its 2016 low, there is reason to believe markets are either expectant of a deal, or simply grown accustomed to the idea of a no-deal exit," Mr Mahony said. "However, what could be around the corner is the form of Brexit that has historically been touted as the worst-case scenario," he said.