IRELAND\\\


Life on the edge in Warrenpoint


Having avoided two cliff-edges in 2019, Vincent McGovern is facing the uncomfortable prospect of another one at the end of 2020. While we know now that the UK will definitely be leaving the EU on 31 December, the exact nature of the Brexit, the trade deal that will exist between the UK and EU and the actual customs arrangements are still undecided. McGovern set up forwarder


and groupage operator Trans Europe Express in Warrenpoint 30 years ago to take advantage of the Single European Market – little thinking that one day he would be facing the prospect of borders being recreated. Businesses have done what


they can to prepare for Brexit – obtaining EORI numbers from HMRC and


checking


commodity codes for whatever they import and export, but there are still so many unknowns and questions that cannot at the moment be answered. Will there be some version


of the TSP that was mooted last year as the customs solution in the run-up to the Brexit deadlines last year? How much discretion will the Government leave to customs to devise a workable system? “Will everything be left to the


last minute? If it was, that would be totally unfair to industry,” he says. “It’s so hard to plan. Even customs agents can’t quantify


what they will need. We’re left in the dark, we can’t make any firm plans, and our customers are all very anxious.” In the run up to previous


deadlines in 2019, many firms in Ireland and Northern Ireland built up stocks in anticipation, but which in the event proved to be unnecessary. Some of those stocks are probably still there; others will have rotted away; some may even have been


re-exported back to


origin. Trans Europe Express, and


its customers, are being forced to second-guess what will be required of them under the new regime. Will there be an exemption for small traders, as was previously suggested, and how would that work? What would be the criteria? And would anyone really try and force White Man Van do a customs entry on his daily journey from Newry to Dundalk?


FTAI postpones Transport Manager seminar


FTA Ireland (FTAI) is to postpone its Transport Manager Seminar due to corona virus concerns. Originally planned for 25 March,


the event will now


take place on 18 June. The venue will remain the same: Johnstown House Hotel Spa in Enfield, County Meath. FTAI general manager,


Aidan Flynn, commented “We have decided to postpone the Transport Manager Seminar due to concerns surrounding COVID-19. The health of our team, attendees, speakers, sponsors and partners must always take priority; postponing the event is the safest approach for everyone involved. We


hope to see


you all at the event in June; attendees can be guaranteed to enjoy the same quality of speakers, content, and venue.” The seminar will take as


its theme the launch of the European Commission’s Green Deal that aims to transform Europe into a climate-neutral economy by 2050. Aidan Flynn said: “The European Commission’s bold plan to transform Europe into a climate-neutral economy by 2050 creates challenging targets for the transport industry; FTAI’s Transport


Manager Seminar will help guide operators on their journeys


to decarbonisation.


With an informative and inspiring programme, including sessions by the chief executive of the National Transport Authority, Anne Graham, and FTAI president and head of delivery at BOC Gases, Niall Cotton, this event is essential to any transport manager seeking to align themselves with the ambitions of the European Green Deal.” The seminar will also include an update from Secretary General of the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport, Graham Doyle, on the work the Department is undertaking to help industry transition to more sustainable operations. Flynn says: “We are


extremely proud of what we have achieved throughout the past 10 years and this event is the perfect opportunity to celebrate


the association’s


success. As well as plenty of surprises on the day, FTAI President, Niall Cotton, will be giving an overview of the journey we have taken since our launch at Dublin Castle in June 2010 to today, where we now represent members who have a combined fleet of more than 10,000 Heavy Goods


Vehicles (HGVs).” Other speakers will


include Conor Curran from Bridgestone and Cathal Masterson, head of tolling and emerging mobility at Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), who will be giving an update on TII’s sustainability agenda. Flynn continues:


“Through


uptake of our TruckSafe scheme, FTA Ireland’s members demonstrate on a continuous basis how committed they are to sustainable


operations and


how open they are to transition to alternative technologies. However, with very challenging carbon reduction targets set by government, effective stakeholder collaboration and engagement is essential to allow industry to understand what needs to be done and to adopt practical solutions. This must-not-miss seminar cements FTAI’s work over the past ten years to become an association that is forward thinking and links industry with policy makers to deliver solutions.” Cost for FTAI members is €200 plus VAT; for non-FTAI members the fee is €250 plus VAT.


Call 01 8447516 or info@ftai.ie email


One year since its start, the direct service from Cherbourg to Dublin is working well, says Irish Ferries freight manager, Derek Tighe. The route into the heart of the Irish capital has gone down well with the freight industry and is proving popular with the haulage industry. The vessel – currently the 2,800 lane metre (lm) Epsilon in winter and the larger W.B. Yeats (with a similar lm but also a dedicated


Issue 1 2020 - FBJ Ireland


Irish Ferries gets to the heart of the matter


car deck) in summer – have been experiencing very strong demand on key sailings. “A lot of the Irish market is right


here in Dublin, and it is also the heart of the road network, so you can easily reach all other parts of the country too,” he says. The direct link from France


to Dublin is unique in the ferry industry and, despite the slightly longer sea distance, with newer faster vessels, voyage times are


15


little diff erent compared with the Cherbourg/Rosslare route, says Tighe. The service operates six days a week in winter and seven days a week in summer. “I think the service has grown its own market – we’ve added capacity and frequency,” he adds. While it’s oſt en said that Dublin


port is becoming very full, and it undeniably a very busy place these days there is still room for growth, and the port has already freed up some space for Brexit. Irish Ferries is in fact getting


its Dublin terminal ready for the introduction of a new vessel for its short-sea Holyhead route. It will be about 50% larger than the current largest capacity ship – the 4,100lm Ulysses – with space for around 300 trucks as against the Ulysses’ 220 or so. The new vessel will become


the mainstay of the route, with


the Ulysses moving to


the opposite slot on Dublin to Holyhead. If freight volumes continue to develop in the off - peak season the plan is for the W.B. Yeats – which has space for 165 freight units - to go onto the Cherbourg route full time.


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