An avalanche of new ferry routes have been established post-Brexit in order to bypass Welsh ports and provide a direct connection between mainland Europe and Ireland, the country’s foreign affairs minister has said.
Simon Coveney said there were 44 direct routes between Ireland and the EU, compared to less than a dozen this time last year.
The so-called land-bridge between Holyhead to Dover had once been a vital part of supply chains in and out of Ireland, Mr Coveney told BBC Radio Wales’ Sunday Supplement programme.
But post-Brexit checks and paperwork associated with the Dover-Calais route makes it the less convenient route, even though direct sea routes take longer and are more expensive.
Mr Coveney said the amount of Irish goods being sold into the UK had increased on last year, but goods “coming the other way” had decreased significantly.
“Companies have simply voted with their feet. For them certainty is what matters so that they can plan for the future,” he said.
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