DUBLIN: With just hours to go for Brexit, officials at state agencies are setting up new traffic measures and infrastructure, as there is a possibility of delays at Dublin port. The State agencies have already warned of potential delays at Dublin Port as the UK leaves the EU tonight.
Representatives from Revenue, the Gardaí and the Departments of Agriculture and Transport gathered at the port yesterday to work out plans to mitigate the disruptions that Brexit will cause in the coming days and weeks. As part of that, it was decided to introduce new traffic measures and infrastructure. In addition, officials from the agencies said they will be at the port 24 hours, seven days a week.
As part of Brexit preparations, eight inspection facilities have been set up at six different locations in Dublin Port for the Customs and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
The Dublin Port Company had completed work worth €30 million to increase the capacity of the internal road network. In addition, new internal traffic management measures have been introduced to continue traffic through Dublin Port.
Despite all this, the company says that all operators and port users have a role to play in continuing to trade and responding to congestion, especially in the first 90 days of 2021. This will ensure that extreme contingency plans are not required in response to traffic congestion, it said.
There is now 16,000 square metres of warehousing with 25 loading bays said Eamonn O’Reilly, CEO of Dublin Port Company. He added that this would give an annual capacity of over one lakh physical inspections of containers and trailers. “Delays because of Brexit border checks are inevitable, but congestion is not,” Mr. O’Reilly said.
A booklet has also been published for Hauliers outlining the latest developments and changes at Dublin Port.