Photo courtesy: Christopher Williams
A further update from the Department of Transport regarding the management of impacts arising from the closure of Holyhead Port has been published. The article is available via the link below and the full text is included with this e-mail. Included after the Department update are two updates from Revenue Customs, also issued today.
Transport Ministers Eamon Ryan and James Lawless, as well as the Department of Transport, are actively engaging with stakeholders to address the challenges to freight and passenger travel to and from Holyhead Port, following damage caused during Storm Darragh last weekend.
This morning, both were fully briefed by Department Officials, the Irish Maritime Development Office (IMD), Dublin Port and Rosslare Europort to explore all possible solutions so that trade supplies and passenger traffic can be accommodated through alternative ports as effectively as possible.
From this week, additional capacity is being provided from Rosslare. Irish Ferries is assigning the WB Yeats to replace the Isle of Innisfree this week. This represents approximately 100% extra capacity. Stena Line Ferries has also introduced an additional sailing to Liverpool. While the Port of Cork currently has no direct UK sailings, it has indicated that it has the capacity to operate one sailing a day, possibly two, based on scheduling. The Ministers have also suggested that more Northern ports and routes could also be considered.
The Ministers will continue to engage with stakeholders over the weekend and intend to meet with Irish Ferries and Stena Line on Monday to ensure that there is optimal co-operation between companies so that freight, drivers and passengers can be accommodated ahead of the festive season.
Minister Lawless has written to his counterpart in the Welsh Assembly, Ken Skates, Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales, to arrange a meeting. The Ministers will also write to the Secretary of State for Transport for the UK, Heidi Alexander.
As the Minister with special responsibility for Postal Policy, Minister Lawless has paid tribute to the work of An Post in recent days, for comprehensively reducing the backlog as a result of the ports closure with 350,000 parcels expected to arrive from the UK in the next 24 hours.
Separately, Revenue Customs issued the below notice this afternoon:
In the context of ongoing issues in Holyhead Port, this is just to advise you that there is no impact or change on how you submit declarations into AIS for imports and AES for exports and complete the PBN for goods moving between GB and IE. Our systems can handle changed routes etc and no amendments to declarations or PBNs is necessary.
As the UK’s declaration system and GMR operates somewhat differently from our systems, we are engaging with HMRC on this matter and will share any updates or alternative arrangements they have put in place to ensure the continued flow of goods as soon as received.
In the past few minutes, Revenue Customs have circulated the below additional news:
HMRC have advised us (Revenue Customs) that they have been engaging with ferry operators impacted. Their advice to trade is that those who are moving goods between GB and IE, should contact their ferry operator for information on the completion of the GMR where the route being used is one that is not available in the GVMS.
If we get any further updates, we (Revenue Customs) will notify you of the same.
Once again, IIFA will continue to update members as more information becomes available.
