Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Shane Ross, what is the position regarding the development plans for Rosslare Europort and whether the Department has been in contact with the CEO of the port regarding its future development.
MINISTER SHANE ROSS; Rosslare Europort is unique among the State-owned ports, as it is not a commercial company operating under the Harbours Acts but is instead operated as a division of Iarnród Éireann.
Iarnród Éireann recently completed a detailed report on Rosslare and a €15 million plan to transform Rosslare Europort has been approved by the board of Irish Rail. Investment in the port is a matter for the company and Iarnród Éireann is examining how it will raise the capital necessary for planned investment.
I understand that the company also intends to appoint a business development and sales manager to promote the port. Last week, Iarnród Éireann and Rosslare Europort briefed my Department on the company’s plan for strategic development of the port over the coming years.
DEPUTY JAMES BROWNE; It is a source of frustration in Wexford and the south east that the significant potential of the port has not been developed. In the face of Brexit, and what we are witnessing in the UK where the situation is varying from farce to effective chaos, the situation of Rosslare Europort has become acute.
I understand the OPW is looking at putting in additional facilities. The manager of Rosslare Europort told Wexford County Council three weeks ago it would take approximately three years to put the facilities in place.
Brexit, which is increasingly looking like a hard Brexit, is happening in less than three months. This time last year, I asked the Minister to raise the ownership issue when he met the UK Minister with responsibility for transport.
As I understand it, there are no political or economic reasons Rosslare Europort and Fishguard Port cannot be separated. What it requires is minor legislation in the Parliaments in Dublin and Westminster to separate the company into two different ports. Rosslare Europort could then act as a stand-alone port.
MINISTER ROSS; The advent of Brexit might or might not provide opportunities. There will have to be changes in many of the ports and Rosslare will not be immune from them.
I am sure the Deputy is aware the process of agreeing the future trade relationship between the UK and EU, including Ireland, is at a sensitive stage as we speak. Clearly the outcome of the process will have implications for this country’s ports, notably Rosslare Europort, in view of its position as an import-export trading route to mainland Europe for those businesses that now or in the future may wish to consider alternatives to the use of the UK land bridge, which is a pivotal issue for people in Rosslare.
Departmental meetings with Rosslare Europort and Irish Rail in the context of Brexit are ongoing.
Most recently, the Department, as the Deputy will know, met the CEO of Iarnród Éireann and the general manager of the port last week and was briefed on the company’s recent consultancy report and its plans for the future strategic development of the port. Ports are one of the top items on my Department’s agenda when it is involved in any talks on Brexit, and Rosslare Europort and Dublin Port would be top of that list.

DEPUTY BROWNE; If the Minister wants to bring Rosslare Europort up to speed to deal with a hard Brexit where if we lose the UK land bridge either because of issues of legal access or financial constraints regarding its use, the port needs to be expanded along with development of access roads.
The authorities in Dover and Calais have publicly printed plans to deal with a hard Brexit, but Rosslare has not. The authorities in Dover and Calais are predicting ten-mile tailbacks. Rosslare has no plans in place to deal with that.
The manager in Rosslare Europort was reported in the local newspaper as having told Wexford County Council that the Government’s policy is not to invest in ports.
He seemed to be outraged that Iarnród Éireann had to spend its own money on its own port because the Government would not spend on it.
Facilities in Rosslare Europort are required for customs, the Garda and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
There is a great deal of work to be done in Rosslare Europort to make it suitable to deal with the impact of Brexit, as the required work has not been done to date. If we lose access to the UK land bridge for the transport of roll-on, roll-off freight, Rosslare Europort will be the only game in town.
We can send freight through any port in the country but for the movement of perishable, pharmaceutical and agricultural goods transported by the drivers of trucks direct to the Continent, Rosslare will be the only game in town.
MINISTER ROSS; It is unfair of the Deputy (Browne) to say that no preparations are in train. All contingencies are being prepared for in the event of Brexit. It would not be correct to spell all of them out here in public, and I do not believe the Deputy would expect me to do that. However, he can be rest assured that that includes Rosslare Europort and Dublin Port.
My Department has been engaging with Rosslare Europort not just about Brexit but also about the land bridge and how that will affect that port as well. As I said to the Deputy, many of those involved in Rosslare Europort are looking at opportunities as well as the difficulties that will be encountered.