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With unavoidable delays at Dublin port, drivers will be told to take the bullocks for a spin up around the airport to allow for congestion to ease, Irish Road Haulage Association president Eugene Drennan told the Irish Farmers Journal.
Irish transport authorities recently confirmed that Brexit-related traffic at Dublin Port will be rerouted to a Dublin Airport car park.
Drennan said: “These animals will be loaded up in the west in the early hours of the morning headed for the port. On arrival, drivers will be told to take them for a spin up around the airport to see the planes take off.”
Driver frustration
The IRHA has warned that Department of Agriculture and custom inspections could see delays to live export at Irish ports.
“This is a disaster waiting to happen. Just last night I had a lorry arrive on a boat from Holyhead to Dublin and it took an hour and a half to disembark. This usually only takes 20 minutes,” Drennan continued.
Trade between Ireland and the UK is too valuable to both nations for any of this messing
“Mismanagement on our side will cost us dearly. There were 500 trucks disembarking from two boats last night and funnelled into a two-lane Garda checkpoint. Drivers will become very frustrated if this is how we’re expected to operate.”
Solutions
The IRHA has called for the streamlining of checks at ports and for boat arrival times to be staggered in order to ease congestion when disembarking.
“We’ve been telling the authorities for the past five years that this isn’t going to work. They were only testing out their new IT system last week ahead of January,” Drennan said.
“Trade between Ireland and the UK is too valuable to both nations for any of this messing. Neighbours need to be able to do seamless business. We’re leaving ourselves wide open for the return of the smuggler.”
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