RELATIONS between Ireland and Wales have strengthened over the past year due to their membership of the newly established Irish Sea Taskforce.
The Taskforce was created in March 2025 following the temporary closure of Holyhead Port due to damage sustained during Storm Darragh.
All sailings were cancelled at the port from December 2024 after the storm caused significant damage to two of its berths.
Ferry services were back in operation from Terminal 5 in January 2025, but Terminal 3 remained closed until later that year as further repair works were needed.
The terminal only finally reopened last July.
Consisting of members of the Irish and Welsh governments, transport officials and stakeholders, the Taskforce has since been working on a “systematic and thorough review” of the incident.
This week they published their recommendations for the future, which includes plans to “compile a defined list of organisations to come together virtually and act as a crisis management team in the event of future port closures” and a requirement that “all organisations represented on the taskforce review any contingency plans they may have and consider the contribution they can make in the event of any future port closure”.
Ireland’s Minister of State with responsibility for International and Road Transport, Logistics, Rail and Ports, Seán Canney welcomed the recommendations, claiming the work of the Taskforce has brought his department closer together with its Welsh counterparts.
“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,” Minister Canney said.
“We have both strengthened old relationships and established new ones, which will continue through annual meetings and regular communication.”
He added: “Although the circumstances were far than 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.”
Wales’ Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales, Ken Skates 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”.
He added: “We will continue to work closely together building on our strengthened relationship.”