Ireland will need between 5,000 and 7,000 new lorry drivers by next year to keep up the current supply of goods into the country.

The Irish Road Haulage Association (IRHA) has described the shortage as an “imminent national emergency” and warned the Government the country could end up facing the same challenges the UK is currently experiencing.

The situation in the UK has seen shortages in a range of goods including beer, milkshakes, food products and building supplies.

Meanwhile, the UK Government put the army on standby to deliver fuel – although ministers have insisted the long queues at petrol stations are linked to panic buying rather than shortages.

On Newstalk Breakfast this morning, IRHA President Eugen Drennan said Ireland is “definitely” facing a shortage.

“There is definitely a shortage of drivers,” he said. “I would say we need 3,000 drivers between now and Christmas for sure. We’ll need maybe 5,000 to 7,000 by next year.

“There is a possibility - not that it will or it might but there is a possibility - that something might happen and we may not have quite as good a service as we have had heretofore.”

Shortage

He said there is nothing sudden about the crisis – and said the industry has struggled to cope with increased regulation and the retirement of older drivers in recent years.

“This has been flagged for a number of years in different reports and we have been indicating it to Government departments and to the Minister of Transport since last year strongly and this year with great urgency,” he said. “It has been growing for a while.

“The dynamic of the age group of our existing drivers has gotten older and more drivers have got out because of a lot of regulation – over-regulation really; some of them could be coaxed back into the business perhaps if that was refined a little bit.”

Drivers

Mr Drennan said there haven’t been enough young drivers enticed into the industry in recent years because the education system is focused on third-level colleges and higher points.

He said colleges have been slow to put courses in place for drivers.

Despite the issues facing the industry, Mr Drennan said there will be no problem with Christmas deliveries this year.

“Anybody who needs something for Christmas, for big friends or small friends, they should have them on time,” he said.

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