AN extra daily ferry service linking Ireland and Wales will be launched this week.
The news comes as Holyhead Port remains closed due to damage caused by Storm Darragh to two if its berths.
Repairs are underway and the port is due to party reopen on January 16.
Hundreds of sailings have been cancelled because of the storm damage at Holyhead, with Irish Ferries and Stena Line, who both operate busy ferry services between the site in Anglesey and Dublin, forced to try and accommodate those with bookings on alternative services.
The closure has severely impacted trade too, with goods due to travel between Ireland and the UK via boat also held up.
This week Irish Ferries and the Port of Milford Haven in Wales have confirmed that there will be an additional daily sailing service between Pembroke and Dublin for passenger cars and accompanied freight.
From January 7, Irish Ferries’ Isle of Innisfree vessel will operate on the route in addition to the James Joyce, which currently sails between the ports twice a day.
Ireland’s Transport Minister Eamon Ryan has welcomed the decision.
“This is good news for both passengers and freight carriers travelling between Ireland and the UK,” he said.
I would like to thank the Port of Milford Haven, the Welsh and UK Governments, Irish Ferries and all stakeholders for working together to secure alternative routes between our two countries while we wait to hear further about the situation at Holyhead,” he added.
“It has been a real team effort on both sides of the Irish Sea.”