An Post has said that, as of Friday morning, the last of the 150,000 UK parcels destined for An Post and affected the the Holyhead Port closure have been re-routed to other UK ports.
There is ongoing speculation as to a resumption date for ferry traffic through Holyhead, An Post said.
Many UK retailers are working with ferry companies to secure alternative routes on larger vessels into Ireland while Holyhead remains closed.
Larger capacity ferries are now accessing Ireland from Wales, Scotland, and Liverpool via Rosslare Europort, Larne, and Dublin Port, and will continue to do so right up to Christmas and into the New Year.
Over Thursday night and Friday morning, An Post received over 350,000 UK parcels into its Dublin, Portlaoise, and Athlone hubs for processing and delivery Saturday and early next week.
Meanwhile, eporters, hauliers, and maritime experts are concerned that the situation for cross-channel transport will worsen next week.
Passenger traffic is likely to increases for the holiday, further straining a system that is already under pressure with the closure of Holyhead Port in the wake of Storm Darragh.
The continuing closure of the port has led to a backlog of hundreds of trucks and trailers waiting to cross to Ireland which is causing major disruptions to supply chains, especially for time-sensitive goods like fresh produce and consumer electronics.
The situation is further complicated by Brexit as the new customs requirements make it difficult to re-route freight through other ports, haulier Darran Murphy told RTÉ radio’s Today with Claire Byrne show.
Simon McKeever of the Exporters Association added that there were also trucks at Dublin Port waiting to go to the UK with goods and the lack of a government at present, who could coordinate with the UK authorities, compounded the issue.
There was also frustration at the lack of coordination and clear information from the authorities on when Holyhead Port will reopen.
Maritime expert Sean Boyce said that the incident highlighted the vulnerability of the UK and Ireland's port infrastructure and the need for greater investment and planning to improve resilience. He also pointed out that there is not a Minister for the Marine.
