'No support' for supply chain affected by Holyhead port closure says Committee Chair

18 December 2024

The Chair of the Welsh Affairs Committee has written to the Government asking how it will help support those affected by the closure of Holyhead Port.

This week it was reported that the port would be closed until 15 January at the earliest, following damage during Storm Darragh on 6 and 7 December.

In the letter, the Chair asks the UK Government for information on how it is supporting business and workers affected, and how it will help the port to return to business.

“This closure comes at a critical time of year,” she writes, “with additional goods moving between the Republic of Ireland and the UK to meet Christmas demands, and people travelling to see their loved ones.”

“Local and national businesses face not only the additional cost of re-routing goods but also the potential loss of goods, for example perishable goods,” the Chair adds. “While some passengers and businesses will be able to reclaim some of their costs, there is no such support for the wider supply chain on Ynys Môn.”

She also raises the issues of the many people living in Holyhead who rely on the port for work or income. If the port remains closed until 15 January, many of these people will face financial difficulties over the winter period.

The port, which sits in a key strategic location between the UK and Ireland, supplies the UK’s second biggest ferry route. An average of two million passengers use Holyhead a year and around 1,200 lorries and trailers make the crossing every day.

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