Updates on Holyhead Port repairs "shouldn't be sugar-coated", Junior Minister Lawless has claimed. 

The Junior Minister for Transport has called on Stena Line, which operates the Welsh port, to provide timely updates on repair works.

“I do stress to Stena Line, who operate the port, the importance of timely and reliable updates,” he said.

“There's no point telling us a best case scenario or sugar-coating it - we need to know the truth, whatever that is, and I think they understood the essence of that as well.”

Minister Lawless said Stenaline have “committed to giving an update within 24 to 48 hours”.

"Much more intense"

Holyhead Port has said repairs are still ongoing following two separate incidents at terminal three during Storm Darragh.

The port has said it is aware of the disruption caused by its closure and it will provide an update on the work as soon as possible.

Speaking to BBC Radio Wales Local Welsh MP Llinos Medi said jobs are on the line.

She said the port's closure is having a personal impact on people and their families.

“It's obvious that the work is much more intense than they expected it to be - I just hope now that it will be reopening this week,” Ms Medi said.

“We just need to make sure that Stena communicates sooner rather than later if it's not because we can't have the logistics company making their way to Holyhead and having those HGVs (heavy-goods vehicles) stood in the town for days, and actually perishable goods as well.

“It's costing the economy a lot of money.”

"Worst case scenario"

Holyhead was significantly impacted during Storm Darragh - with the possibility some passengers and cargo won't make it back to Ireland before Christmas.

Yesterday, the Irish Road Haulage Association spokesperson Eugene Drennan told Newstalk he fears the port will not be fully operational until March.

"We don't know the results of the tests on the extension of the pier in Holyhead and it is very doubtful we'll see it working before Patrick's Day,” he said.

Junior Minister Lawless echoed these concerns, saying that Holyhead Port in Wales remaining closed until after the New Year would be “the worst case scenario”.

“The worst case would be the Holyhead was closed for some time, perhaps into the New Year, you know, into early spring,” he said.

“If that is the case, we will have to normalise the new routes that are being pioneered at the moment.

“So Rosslare to Pembroke, Rosslare to Fishguard takes on increased importance, Dublin to Liverpool takes on increased importance, Belfast to Cairnryan grows in capacity and potentially the likes of the Port of Swansea.”

Paperwork

Junior Minister Lawless also said customs administration paperwork between UK and Ireland could be “relaxed” while Holyhead port remains closed.

“So there are various different dockets and exercise and customers and if you're using the UK as a land bridge to the EU post Brexit, there's a whole, I suppose, protocol in place around how you sort of stamp, then rubber stamp when you get to the continental size,” he said.

“Those kind of dockets might very well say Holyhead as their route at the moment, [but] it won't be Holyhead, it'll be Fishguard or somewhere.

“We can't have trucks waiting for hours to get their paperwork redone.”

An Post has received most of the outstanding parcels coming to Ireland from alternative routes.

Almost half a million parcels were held up at Holyhead, however, An Post is now guaranteeing delivery by Friday.

Cars driving on to Stena Line ferry at Holyhead Port. Image: Alamy