Thousands of parcels destined for Ireland stuck in backlog of trucks at Holyhead

An Post said late on Thursday that it had managed to reduce from 500,000 to 150,000, the number of packages that were due to come through to it but which were stuck in Holyhead. It did so by re-routing lorries to other ports.

CEO David McRedmond confirmed that some 350,000 delayed parcels at Holyhead had been rerouted with Mr McRedmond saying there is "a further 150,000 to go". 

An Post has heard that Holyhead could re-open late Friday or in the early hours of Saturday and a spokeswoman said it would be "full tilt" for the company then.

It had already taken on 1,400 extra staff for the Christmas rush and says it expects workers will be operating 24-hour shifts this weekend to clear the backlog once Holyhead re-opens.

The port, one of Ireland's most important trade links, has been closed to traffic since last weekend.

Port authorities in Holyhead had previously indicated that ferry crossings would resume on Tuesday evening but it remain closed on Thursday.  

Pharmaceuticals, foods, and packages ordered online, including electronics, are among the products that are being held up.

Major supermarkets and distribution companies have been seeking alternative routes at what is the busiest time of year but several other British shipping ports are also experiencing long delays.

Irish Road Haulage Association president Ger Hyland said it is unlikely that all goods will make it for December 25, with trucks sitting idle on both sides of the Irish Sea all week.

“Heading into Christmas, we are going to struggle big time to get goods in,” he told the Irish Examiner.

“The problem now, starting next week, people will be returning to Ireland for the Christmas break. 

"This means the trailers and trucks waiting idle all week will have to fight for space with those booking cars for the ferries.” 

Adding to the problems, the haulage workforce is due to drop by 20% after this weekend as many drivers go home for the holidays.

“Holyhead has told us all week that it will be tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow, but tomorrow hasn’t come yet,” Mr Hyland said.

He said this would have a significant impact the shops and other commercial distributors. 

Exporters have also expressed concern that the situation will worsen next week. 

Action urged

The Irish Exporters Association called for immediate and urgent action from authorities in Ireland and Wales to reopen the Holyhead Port.

The association said the closure has caused considerable disruptions and could impact the availability of many items in the run-up to Christmas.

Irish Exporters Association CEO Simon McKeever, said the backlog will take days to clear when operations do eventually resume. 

Such is the urgency of the matter, the Department of Transport is now helping to formulate contingency plans.

In a statement on Thursday, the department said: “The Department continues to liaise with all stakeholders, including other national ports, to address the ongoing challenges to the supply chain. 

"From today, additional capacity is being provided from Rosslare. 

"Irish Ferries is assigning the MV James Joyce to replace the Inishfree.

"This represents approximately 50% extra capacity.

“While the Port of Cork currently has no direct UK sailings, it has indicated that it has the capacity to operate one sailing a day, possibly two based on scheduling. 

"Solutions for the medium term, if necessary, are also under consideration."

Major supermarket chains say the impact so far has been minimal but it remains unclear how long the delays will last.

One festive activity that has been impacted is the Mary Poppins theatre show, which was due to begin at the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre in Dublin on Wednesday night, but was delayed as large parts of the set are being shipped from Britain. 

The opening show was rescheduled to December 15.