What happened?
On the night Storm Darragh hit Wales, two ships collided with Holyhead Port. Terminal three was badly damaged and the Port was immediately closed. The Port was inaccessible for over a month, impacting on the busy Christmas period.
Looking for answers
With the Port partially reopened and ferries running again; the Economy, Trade and Rural Affairs Committee are looking for answers as to why the Port was closed for so long, how it impacted local people and businesses, and how incidents can be prevented in the future.
The Committee has asked:
- Causes: What could have been done to prevent the severity of the damage?
- Communication: How were Port users, communities, and businesses kept informed about the closure during and after the storm?
- Remediation: Was the damage assessed and repaired quickly enough?
- Impact: What impact did the closure have, and what steps were taken to mitigate potential impact?
Next steps
The Committee has offered recommendations on how learnings from the Port closure can improve the response to incidents in the future. Key messages include:
- Lessons must be learnt to ensure any future incident is better handled.
- There needs to be clear leadership - responses should be led by a single individual who can be held responsible and accountable.
- A lack of focus on freight and port policy – commitments around ports and freight policy need to be delivered to ensure parties are better prepared for future incidents.
- Working with partners – the Committee welcome partnership working within the new Irish Sea Resilience Taskforce and urge the taskforce to work with speed to understand and resolve any outstanding issues.
Where can I find more information?
- Read the full report
Follow the Committee’s work on X @SeneddEconomy