January 14, 2026 - 405 views
New measures to safeguard the future of Holyhead Port and improve resilience across the Irish Sea have been set out following the publication of recommendations from the Irish Sea Resilience Taskforce.
The taskforce was established in March last year in response to the temporary closure of Holyhead Port in December 2024, an event that caused widespread disruption to passenger and freight movements between Wales and Ireland and underlined the strategic importance of the port to both economies.
Holyhead is the UK’s second busiest roll-on, roll-off ferry port and a vital gateway between Great Britain and Ireland, handling millions of passengers and a significant proportion of trade each year. The closure exposed vulnerabilities in port infrastructure and contingency planning, prompting both the Welsh and Irish governments to work together on a detailed review of lessons learned.
The taskforce brought together representatives from both governments, transport officials and key industry stakeholders, and has now agreed a series of recommendations aimed at improving resilience, strengthening contingency plans and ensuring better management of disruption when incidents occur.
Among the key next steps is the establishment of an annual bilateral meeting between Welsh and Irish transport officials, ensuring regular communication and joint planning around ports and Irish Sea connectivity. The recommendations also focus on protecting passenger links and freight routes, which are essential to communities, businesses and supply chains on both sides of the sea.
Irish Minister of State with responsibility for International and Road Transport, Logistics, Rail and Ports, Seán Canney, praised the collaborative approach taken by the taskforce.
He said: “I thank Cabinet Secretary Ken Skates for his leadership of the Taskforce over the last nine months, along with all the officials and stakeholders who have worked on it. We have both strengthened old relationships and established new ones, which will continue through annual meetings and regular communication.
“Although the circumstances were far from ideal, I am delighted that our two departments have been brought closer together and I look forward to the deepening of this relationship over the coming years.”
Welsh Government Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales, Ken Skates, said the work had reinforced the central role Holyhead plays not only for North Wales, but for Ireland and the wider UK.
He said: “Discussions within the Irish Sea Taskforce have reinforced the importance of Holyhead and our other Irish Sea-facing ports to communities in Wales and Ireland and beyond, and our shared interest and responsibility, both now and in the future, to make sure they thrive and grow. We will continue to work closely together building on our strengthened relationship.”
The recommendations are expected to inform future investment decisions and operational planning at Holyhead and other ports, with the aim of ensuring the Irish Sea remains a resilient and reliable transport corridor, even in the face of unexpected disruption.
For North Wales, the report is seen as a crucial step in protecting jobs, trade and connectivity linked to Holyhead Port, while also highlighting the growing cooperation between the Welsh and Irish governments in managing shared infrastructure and economic interests.
