‘ANY INVESTMENT WOULD BE WELCOME’
THE CAMPAIGN TO DEVELOP TO ROSSLARE EUROPORT CONTINUES TO GATHER PACE, WITH COUNTY COUNCIL AND CHAMBER IN FAVOUR
IN the model county, all roads lead to Rosslare Europort. Currently, if you follow the countless road-signs across the county and further afield, you’ll arrive upon a port that’s a pale reflection of what it once was. The bustling hive of activity at the end of the road has perhaps been confined to memory of it’s heyday, two or three decades previously.
However, there is a sense that things are on the up once again at the Wexford port, following years of neglect and the fact that all roads lead to Rosslare is not insignificant. Following the opening of the Enniscorthy and New Ross bypasses and with plans at an advanced stage for a new Rosslare Harbour Access Road, it’s never been easier to get there, a fact that’s not wasted on countless haulage firms that are following developments with interest.
Also following with interest are Wexford County Council. Chief Executive of the council Tom Enright says that any investment or increased activity at the port is to be welcomed and they’re doing all they can to encourage this.
‘I think Rosslare has great potential,’ he said. ‘I am all for its development and for an increase in port activity there, but it does need significant investment and upgrading. With Brexit looking like it’s going to be more hard than soft, providing access to mainland Europe is of huge importance. I know we’ve a lot of transport companies in Wexford that would benefit greatly from more ease of access to the continent and avoiding the land bridge.’
While Mr Enright is keen to stress that port operations are not his forte, he is eager to create every opportunity for Rosslare to flourish.
‘We’re about to go to planning stage for the new €15 million Harbour Access road,’ he says proudly. ‘All going well, we’d hope to get that under construction by the end of the year. With the opening of the New Ross and Enniscorthy bypass, Rosslare is much more accessible than it once was. There are a lot of benefits and the potential is huge. I think Rosslare is of huge importance to the Wexford economy and I would support any investment there or anything that would see it developed further.’