Funding is needed for Rosslare Europort – Howlin
ROSSLARE Europort needs specific funding to complete the M11 access and to ensure the port is reconfigured to deal with the new post-Brexit circumstances, Labour Party leader Brendan Howlin told the Dáil.
He asked the Tánaiste Simon Coveney what contingency planning is under way by the Government for a no-deal Brexit in the event of that unwelcome eventuality.
Recently, he said there was an easterly wind which briefly closed Dublin Port and which caused traffic to be backed up from the port and out towards the airport.
‘ This is the main entrance and egress point for the bulk of our trade so we must have specific plans to deal with the imports and exports coming to and leaving this country,’ he said.
In reply, Tánaiste Simon Coveney said he brought an updated report to the Cabinet recent- ly, with the Minister for Finance, Deputy Paschal Donohoe, on the state of preparedness regarding contingency measures.
‘It is important to say that those contingency plans are based on a central case scenario,’ he said. ‘ This assumes that we would have a transition period for at least 21 months and that we would have a withdrawal agreement signed off and ratified.
‘Of course, if we have to put in place contingency planning for a more urgent situation involving a no-deal Brexit, we have been working for months on this, but we do not believe that it is prudent to publish anything in that regard.
‘I believe that I have been pretty open on this with everyone who was on the Brexit stakeholders’ forum, which the Deputy is a member if, and I will continue to be very open in that forum.’