Closure a 'wake-up call' for government to make Holyhead a priority, says freight body
From Thursday, there will be eight daily departures from the Welsh port’s Terminal 5. Picture: PA
The closure of Holyhead and what to do if it happens again should be a priority for the incoming government, according to representative body Freight Transport Association Ireland.
CEO Aidan Flynn said, as well as coming up with a contingency plan for future events, questions need to be asked around what exactly happened last month and what can be done to make sure it doesn’t happen again.
He said: “Questions need to be asked about why damage to one berth can cause so much disruption to the whole Ireland and Britain supply chain. This question and the answer should be taken seriously and frame contingency planning for the future.
“The damage to the berth has been a wake-up call to the tenuous nature of Ireland-Britain supply chain and the next government needs to make Holyhead a priority. Ireland has a vested interest in the quality and standards of infrastructure at British ports of strategic importance for efficient and effective supply chain connectivity.”
His comments come as port chiefs prepare for a partial reopening of Holyhead. From Thursday, there will be eight daily departures from the Welsh port’s Terminal 5.
The port was closed last month after it suffered damage during Storm Darragh. Part of the structure of Terminal 3 berth collapsed after two incidents on December 6 and 7, leading to a complete halt to services in and out of the port.
Given the scale of the damage, it was necessary to perform underwater inspections of the structural integrity of the adjacent Terminal 3 and Terminal 5 berths. That process was delayed to allow Storm Darragh to pass.
It was a massive blow to the transport of goods between Holyhead and Dublin, a route that sees around 1,200 lorries and trailers make the crossing every day. The majority of the five million tonnes of freight that came in and out of Holyhead in 2023 was shipped in and out of Dublin and Holyhead.
According to the Observatory of Economic Complexity (OEC), the trade between the two ports is worth around €500m and €600m each month in both exports from and imports to Ireland.
The UK’s Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB), which investigates all maritime accidents in UK waters, initially started preliminary enquiries to "better understand” what happened.
In a statement to the , it said: “The MAIB has completed its preliminary enquiries into the maritime aspects of the incident at Holyhead. The information gathered does not indicate any significant safety issues that would necessitate further investigation at this time.”
A statement on the Holyhead Port Authority reads: “Currently, both ferry berths at Holyhead Port are closed. Holyhead Port can confirm that Terminal 5 is expected to reopen and ferry services to resume on January 16. This prediction is subject to reasonable weather conditions.
“We understand the closure of the berths has had a significant impact on trade, passengers and customers and are aware of the disruption this has caused. The safety of our passengers and colleagues remains our top priority.
"We will continue to prioritise rigorous assessments and repair work to ensure berths meet the highest safety standards before reopening.”
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