The government will meet again with Welsh counterparts in January for a progress review on Holyhead, the most important port for Irish-UK trade and travel, after discussing efforts so far to return it to use.
The busy ferry port in Anglesey, north Wales, was forced to close following damage during Storm Darragh and is not set to reopen until January 15th at the earliest.
All ferry services between Dublin and Holyhead are currently cancelled, upending travel plans for thousands in the festive season.
Taoiseach Simon Harris spoke to first minister of Wales Eluned Morgan on Friday about the impact of the ongoing closure of the port on the movement of both people and freight between Ireland and Great Britain.
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It is understood that both leaders acknowledged the ongoing efforts being made on both sides to ensure that people travelling home for Christmas are able to do so.
They also discussed the importance, in all scenarios, of ensuring sufficient port capacity to maintain the supply chains vital to both economies, and agreed to speak again in the new year to review progress.
Mr Harris said they spoke of the need to find workable alternatives while Holyhead remains closed. “The closure of Holyhead port has caused a lot of heartache and disruption for people and traders this Christmas,” he said. “I took the opportunity this afternoon to take stock of the situation with the first minister of Wales, Eluned Morgan.
“We discussed the importance to both Wales and Ireland of ensuring sufficient port capacity to support vital supply chains between Ireland and the UK, and the need to find workable alternatives for as long as Holyhead remains out of commission.
“We expressed a shared wish to see Holyhead return to operation in January, and we agreed to speak again in early January to review matters at that point.” – PA
