The Office of Public Works has lodged a planning application with Wexford County Council for a new multi-million euro investment in facilities at Rosslare Europort.
The application seeks permission for the construction of Terminal 7, a new Border Control Post (BCP) at the increasingly busy port. Permission is sought for the demolition of some existing structures and the construction of the new BCP with a total gross floor area for development of 10,645m2.
The new building will consist of immigration booths with an overhead canopy, enforcement booths, a live animal building for unloading and physical inspections, administrative offices, seal check booths, a truck scanning building, documentary check building, a pet inspection and trade facilitation building, a car inspection building, a two storey building for physical inspections of cargo with admin offices, a garage building, an enclosed truck examination building, a driver welfare building, parking and other associated works.
Minister of State James Browne welcomed the planning application and stated it would be the start of ‘massive investment in Rosslare Europort over the coming months and years by State agencies including the Revenue, Department of Agriculture and the HSE’.
‘The planning application by the OPW is the first step in a transformative project which will provide many jobs and increased investment in both the Port and our county,’ he said.
Due to Brexit, trade through the Port to mainland Europe has increased rapidly. This is reflected in the interim inspection facilities built in a ten-acre site in Rosslare which included inspection bays, Revenue facilities, additional office accommodation and much more. Similar facilities will have to be made permanent given the lasting positive changes of Brexit for Rosslare.
‘I was pleased to facilitate a meeting between Rosslare Europort General Manager Glenn Carr and Minister for European Affairs Thomas Byrne earlier this year. In addition, I have been engaging regularly with Minister for Trade Robert Troy and Minister for Public Expenditure Michael McGrath on the investment required.
‘This multi-million euro investment is extremely welcome. It will solidify Rosslare as one of the key trading hubs between Ireland and our European neighbors for decades to come.’
