With deliveries affected by the Holyhead Port closure ahead of Christmas, An Post is providing daily updates to customers.
Storm Darragh has caused a delivery frenzy just ahead of Christmas with Holyhead Port remaining closed until December 19th due to storm damages - according to the Irish Exporters Association.
“There is much speculation regarding the date ferry traffic will resume through Holyhead and as of this evening, no date has been verified,” An Post said.
“Many UK retailers have worked with ferry companies to secure alternative routes into to Ireland while Holyhead remains closed.
“Larger capacity ferries are now accessing Ireland from Wales, Scotland and Liverpool via Rosslare Europort, Larne and Dublin Port, resulting in a much decreased backlog of parcel trucks at Holyhead.
“An Post expects to receive approximately 350,000 UK parcels over the next 24 hours and we have the facilities technology and staff across our Dublin, Portlaoise and Athlone hubs to process and deliver them, including 1,400 Christmas casual workers.”
Backlog
An Post said the backlog of parcels in Holyhead for An Post has been reduced from approximately 500,000 to approximately 150,000 due to re-routing.
If you made an order pre Storm Darragh and have not received your parcel yet, An Post expect it should arrive in the coming days, but have advised to check directly with your retailer.
“If you are planning to order from UK retailers, check with them regarding their delivery dates for Ireland – they may have secured working routes into Ireland, though dispatch times from the UK may take longer than normal,” An Post said.
Timeline
The postal service has advised customers to “shop local with Irish retailers” and “buy Irish”.
All outgoing international parcel services are operating normally without delay, An Post confirmed.
There will be nationwide parcel deliveries and all post offices will remain open this Saturday, December 14th.
An Post will be delivering up to Christmas Eve all parcels they have received by December 21st.
A person posts Christmas letters at Dublin's GPO, 13-12-2011. Image: Mark Stedman/RollingNews.ie
