CILT Ireland to Launch Major Policy Paper on National Port Resilience

On 14th August, the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) Ireland hosted an exclusive briefing to launch its latest policy paper, Keeping Ireland Moving: Building Resilient Ports for Trade, Energy and Supply Chains.

This invitation‑only event convened senior leaders and stakeholders from across Ireland’s transport, logistics, maritime, supply chain and policy sectors to examine one of the most significant issues shaping Ireland’s future competitiveness — the resilience of the national port system.

The new policy paper provides an evidence‑based assessment of how Ireland’s ports anticipate, absorb and adapt to disruption. As the Executive Summary states, “Ireland’s ports are the backbone of the national economy, handling over 90 percent of the country’s trade by volume and providing vital connections for freight, energy and passengers.”

The publication comes at a pivotal moment as the Department of Transport progresses its review of the National Ports Policy (2013) and invites submissions to help shape the future direction of Ireland’s ports strategy. CILT Ireland’s paper offers timely insights to support this process, highlighting the need for a coordinated national approach to resilience that aligns transport, climate, energy and digital policy.

Chaired by Dr Eoin Plant O’Toole, the CILT Ireland Policy Committee adopted an all‑island perspective, reflecting the interconnected nature of Ireland’s maritime network. The study examines six principal ports — Dublin, Cork, Shannon Foynes, Waterford, Rosslare and Belfast — and identifies both strong operational performance and key constraints across spatial capacity, access infrastructure, governance and digital integration. As the paper notes, “The findings show a network with strong operational performance but constrained by spatial, financial and institutional challenges.”

The report also highlights vulnerabilities exposed by the Holyhead Port disruption in late 2024, which demonstrated the systemic consequences of concentrated routing and limited redundancy. It emphasises that resilience must now be treated as a national capability, requiring coordinated planning and investment across the maritime network.

Commenting on the launch, President Tim Hayes of CILT Ireland said, “It was fantastic to see such strong input and engagement from across the sector at today’s launch, including representatives from the Irish Maritime Development Office and our ports. Bringing together the expertise and experience of these organisations is vital to understanding the challenges we face and, importantly, identifying practical solutions.

This policy paper is of substantial value to the sector and comes at an important time for the future development of Ireland’s ports in these turbulent times. It provides a strong, evidence-based insight and analysis to the discussion and will make a significant contribution to the further development of Ireland’s maritime, transport and logistics industry. The strength of Ireland’s network depends on our ability to work together, share knowledge and take a coordinated approach to its future.”

Dr Eoin Plant, Chair of CILT Policy Committee, President Tim Hayes, CILT Ireland, Chiagoziem Ozoani, lead researcher CILT Policy Committee.