Holyhead Port closure: Will my Christmas packages arrive on time?
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Fears are growing that some people may be without their Christmas deliveries following the closure of a crucial ferry route from Holyhead in North Wales to Dublin.
Online shoppers are concerned their festive deliveries may not make it here on time to be wrapped and put under the Christmas tree before December 25 as Holyhead Port remains closed after suffering infrastructural damage in Storm Darragh last weekend.
The port has not handled marine traffic since last Saturday morning, which has led to growing fears about the fate of deliveries bound for Ireland.
The Dublin-Holyhead route is a vital link between Ireland and the UK and plays a crucial role in the Irish export and import industry, facilitating the smooth transit of goods and services.
The prolonged closure of the route has already caused considerable disruptions, affecting supply chains, businesses, and consumers alike, and any further delay could impact the availability of certain items in the run up to Christmas, leaving retailers scrambling to get goods into the country.
Hauliers have warned that backlogs will cause serious disruptions to trade and prevent people receiving some deliveries in time.
Holyhead Port remains closed and with no indication yet as to when the port will reopen, it is becoming increasingly unlikely that packages will make it to Ireland on time for Christmas.
The Irish Exporters Association (IEA) has called for immediate and urgent action to confirm the reopening of services within the next 24 hours.
CEO of the IEA Simon McKeever said that the closure of the Holyhead ferry services has created “significant challenges” for exporters and importers alike.
“There is now a considerable backlog in both ports, which will take days to clear. Because of the return nature of logistics movements between the two ports, the ongoing delay in reopening is causing serious concern across all sectors,” he said.
Urging the Minister for Transport and the Government to contact their Welsh counterparts to resolve this issue, he said: “Holyhead Ferry Port is a critical infrastructure not only for the Irish export community, but also for Wales and the UK, and its prolonged closure has the capacity to causes significant supply chain issues in the run-up to Christmas in both countries causing undue hardship to businesses and consumers.”
The closure of the port has also affected the opening night of Mary Poppins at the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre which had to be rescheduled to Sunday, December 15.
The Mary Poppins show was due to kick off at the theatre on Wednesday night but it was announced yesterday that despite best efforts, the show’s opening would have to be delayed as large parts of the set being shipped from the UK faced repeated delays as a result of Storm Darragh.
Ticket holders have been assured that all tickets will remain valid for the rescheduled show on Sunday and patrons will retain the same seats that they originally booked.
For those unable to attend the rescheduled date, a full refund or exchange (subject to availability) will be offered.