TECH 2020
Foyle Port – charting our post-Brexit course
By George Fleming, President, Londonderry Chamber of Commerce
T
he past year has seen a seachange in the political landscape across these islands. The Leave vote in the 2016 referendum kicked off a politically turbulent year where we have suffered from a collapsed Executive in Northern Ireland, and gone to the polls twice at both the Assembly and Westminster.
The Conservative Government lost its majority in the Westminster election in June and is now relying on a confidence and supply deal with the DUP, in what has been an eyeopening few months. The DUPTory deal is to deliver a £ 1.5 billion package for Northern Ireland with a large part of that earmarked to progress infrastructure projects. However, in the absence of an Executive, it remains to be seen if that money appears. It is no secret that we need to see the A5 and A6 projects progress quickly, to improve the NorthWest’ s connectivity across the island.
Whilst we have become accustomed to seeing a more confident and outward looking Northern Ireland emerge on the world stage, Brexit now looms large. Here in Northern Ireland it is viewed as a threat to peace and stability, as well as a threat to the economic progress we have made in recent years.
Despite this political turmoil and uncertainty, the NorthWest region is strategically placed in a number of ways, to meet the very real challenges presented in a postBrexit reality. The North West has not always been at the frontend of investment opportunities that have flowed into Northern Ireland in recent years, but with our position on the Foyle and our proximity to the Republic, we are now perfectly situated to handle these newworld challenges.
Foyle Port is an excellent case study for the challenges of Brexit and the movement of people, goods and services. They are a UK Trust Port with 50 % of trade imported from the EU by sea with 40 % of their trade reexported to the Republic of Ireland by road. As a strategic economic asset, the Port will play an essential role as an invaluable gateway to the Republic, the EU and beyond. Many people in our city may not be aware of the instrumental part it plays in ensuring the NorthWest economy is wellserved, however, it is one of our most important regional assets with the capacity required for future growth.
The Port has a rich heritage. There are not a lot of companies about today that have been going since the 1800s. It operates in NI and the Republic and around £ 1 billion worth of goods such as coal, oil, animal feed and plywood pass through it each year.
Under the leadership of fellow Chamber board member, Brian McGrath, it has gone through a transformative growth process. The organisation has more than trebled in size. It handles over 2 million tonnes of cargo per year and now employs almost 100 people directly and supports more than 1,000 jobs in
the region. All of the Port’ s profits are reinvested to ensure that it continues to provide first rate services and remains competitive for its customers and future generations to come.
The Port’ s importance to our continued economic success cannot be underestimated. It is a crucial gateway for us and will be our link to the EU and the business opportunities that exist there. It will also prove to be a vital connection between Northern Ireland and the Republic where cooperation has flourished in recent years. The jurisdictions rely on each other and that relationship must be protected after Brexit has taken effect.
The NorthWest has made significant progress in recent years in developing our regional tourism product. The team at Foyle Port are progressing with exciting plans to develop Lough Foyle as an international cruise destination which could transform the regional tourism offering. This vision requires political cross border support.
We are still unsure what type of Brexit we are facing, but the case must be made by our political leaders and the business community, that a hard border is not good for anyone. The progress we have made in the last decade has been good, but we have always had to work harder to ensure those benefits travel as far as the NorthWest and the border region.
Many will see Brexit as a major threat, however with strategic assets like Foyle Port, we must harness this potential and seize the opportunities that Brexit can bring. That means supporting and defending what we have and making sure that the correct conditions exist to allow this to happen.
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