Fears Christmas packages will not reach Ireland on time due to Holyhead crisis

Hauliers face grim job loss tolls in the new year if Welsh port Holyhead does not reopen on time, it is warned.

They also yesterday confirmed fears that many Christmas packages will not reach Ireland on time. Industry experts warned that businesses will face penalties for failed deliveries and said consumers may soon face increased delivery prices for goods. The hauliers are seeking €60m a month in financial aid to help businesses cope - otherwise some will “fail” because margins are so tight, according to Irish Road Haulage Association (IRHA) president Ger Hyland.

He said: “Some of our companies are definitely going to fail within a short space of time." He added that he is “of that belief” that parcels will not arrive for Christmas. When the damage to jetties by Storm Darragh on December 6 was reviewed, Holyhead port announced that it would be closed until 6pm on December 10.

But the port in Anglesey – which is the busiest crossing between Ireland and Britain - remains closed until January 15 at the earliest with €2bn worth of goods waiting to cross between Ireland and Britain. Thousands of Irish families’ ferry bookings to get home for Christmas were cancelled and hauliers and An Post expressed doubts about January 15.

READ MORE: Holyhead port will not reopen until January 15 'at the earliest'

READ MORE: ‘Highly unlikely’ Holyhead will reopen before Christmas announces Taoiseach Simon Harris

Hauliers have now warned that Holyhead’s ongoing closure could mean that haulage companies go out of businesses with huge job losses. UK haulage boss Cheryl Kirkwood announced 10 job losses this past week and said Holyhead “port is the beating heart” of the industry.

IRHA boss Hyland described the crisis at Holyhead Port as "horrendous”. He said: “This is horrendous because it came on our busiest week of the year. There was no plan in place for Holyhead going down.” Hyland added: “We have to get financial aid to our shippers to weather this storm.” He said: "If our industry fails, this country fails."

Hyland pleaded for help and said: "We feel that the UK government has not done enough to get Holyhead up and running again or to give us a steer as to when it is going to be up and running. When we come back after Christmas, we will be calling on the UK government, the Irish government, anybody who can tell us definitively when Holyhead is going to be up and running. If it is going to be the middle of March, well then tell us it’s going to be the middle of March. If it is going to be May or June, tell us it is going to be May or June.”

An Post’s Garrett Bridgeman, who is the managing director and chief operating officer of mails and parcels, described January 15 as “ambitious”. Jonathan McDade of the Small Firms’ Association told RTE: “There needs to be clarity from Holyhead as to when the port is going to open and be fully operational.”

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