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The government is prepared to subsidize direct ferry routes to continental Europe to facilitate the movement of goods in a post-Brexit business environment, Foreign Minister Simon Coveney said.
Goods between Ireland and Europe generally move over the UK ‘land bridge’, but their departure from the EU has made the future of the route problematic in terms of customs checks and queues at ports.
Coveney has urged companies to start testing direct shipping lanes starting next month, anticipating some land bridge disruptions starting in January.
He said Ireland is now receiving assistance from other EU member states in anticipation of delays, specifically the use of “green lane” systems that bypass customs controls for trucks of Irish origin arriving at EU ports from the UK with sealed containers.
Addressing the Irish perspective on the future of EU-UK relations in an online forum hosted by public relations firm Hume Brophy on Friday, Coveney said the UK has also acceded to the Transport Convention. International that allows containers to remain sealed during transit. Britain.
However, he noted that the biggest problem would likely arise in British ports with severe congestion and delays caused by new regulatory controls.
“I think we’d be naive if we thought they’re just going to get Irish trucks to the front of the queue for some kind of goodwill gesture, if they’ve been queuing for two days,” he said.
Several direct ferry routes between Ireland and Europe were announced in the last year, as well as additional trips, although Coveney said demand has yet to change for the UK’s fastest land bridge.
“We are now encouraging companies to look for direct ferry route options. Use the month of November to maybe test a new supply chain, ”he said.
Grant
“If necessary, the Irish government will invest money in subsidizing the ferry links if that makes sense. At the moment the ferry companies tell us that it doesn’t make sense and that it would actually be more disturbing than it would be useful. ”
Eugene Drennan, president of the Irish Road Transport Association (IRHA), told The Irish Times that money dedicated to EU connectivity set aside for Brexit should be channeled towards financing daily truck ferry services.
“We need to get to the north of France, which can be done, in 16 hours. If you use the land bridge right now, if you do a really good run, you will probably get to Calais in 13 1/2 hours, or a typical run would be 16 or 17 hours, ”he said.
In relation to the broader ongoing discussions on the future relationship with the UK, Coveney said the fisheries issue is probably the biggest stumbling block, although many would find it “strange”: the industry represents a small part of both economies but it is very sensitive.
“The British government has made all kinds of promises to the fishing industry in the UK and Scotland in particular,” Coveney said.
“It is closely linked to the sovereignty debate and is a positive consequence of leaving the European Union. On the EU side it is equally sensitive. ”
The EU seeks a status quo agreement on access. Belgium currently catches around 60 percent of its population in UK territorial waters, Ireland about 35 percent. Mr. Coveney said that while progress was evident in other areas of the talks, the two sides remained “very separate” on fisheries.
On Tuesday, the government will approve a budget based on the assumption of a “no trade agreement” scenario with the obligation to be “cautious and pessimistic” in terms of financial planning, he said.
“I think there will be a deal, but I wouldn’t be surprised if I was wrong.”
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