Welsh Government promises to continue work on Holyhead port, which will partially reopen today

The Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales, Ken Skates, says that the Welsh Government will continue to work on Holyhead Port, which is set to partially reopen today.

The ferry terminal – which was badly damaged by Storm Darragh in December last year – has been temporarily closed while repairs were carried out over the past few weeks.

Stena have announced that their ferries can now sail at full capacity with the first ferry scheduled to set sail at 01:30 on 16 January from berth 5.

Government collaboration

The Welsh Government has been working closely with the Irish Government since the temporary closure of the port on 17 December 2024.

This has included First Minister Eluned Morgan meeting with the Taoiseach, Simon Harris, last week where they discussed the on-going impact of the port’s closure on the movement of people and freight.

To help ensure long-term resilience of the port, last week the Cabinet Secretary announced plans to establish a task force to work with Irish Ministers for Transport, the UK Government, Stena and other key players in the Welsh and Irish ports and ferry industry.

The Cabinet hopes this will guarantee the port meets the future needs of both nations.

Challenges remain

Ynys Môn MP Llinos Medi has welcomed the positive development as the port reopens, but emphasised the need for government action to ensure the port’s full recovery and protect the viability of local businesses.

“The partial reopening of the Port of Holyhead is a positive step forward, and I welcome the hard work that has gone into restoring some level of operations. Holyhead is a strategic hub for trade, travel, and our local economy, and seeing the port start to come back to life is very encouraging,” said MP Medi.

“However, we cannot overlook the challenges that remain. Many local businesses, exporters, and workers have been deeply affected by the disruption. While the adjusted ferry schedules will help, they cannot fully compensate for the losses experienced over the past month.

“To build on this progress, we need a strong commitment from both the UK and Welsh governments to support businesses in the supply chain and ensure the port’s full recovery – something that has so far unfortunately been lacking.”

‘Patience and cooperation’

The Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales, Ken Skates said, “Co-ordination of this effort was greatly boosted as a result of the close co-operation between the Welsh Government and the Irish Government, with the First Minister meeting with the Taoiseach as recently as last Friday.”

“The collaboration and sharing of information in real-time informed the provision of alternative services and helped minimise traffic related impacts. I am also grateful to the relevant UK Government Departments and Ministers, local authorities and trade bodies for the part they have played in this task.”

He thanked passengers, port operators, ferry companies and dedicated staff for their “patience and cooperation”, as well as Stena, for their work to reopen the port despite weather challenges.