Pembrokshire Senedd Members have expressed frustration and concern following a statement from the Welsh Labour Government Transport Secretary on the Irish Sea Taskforce, which failed to reference either of Pembrokeshire’s ports.

The Taskforce was established to coordinate work between the devolved governments in Wales and Ireland, local authorities, and ferry and logistics operators, with the aim of strengthening the resilience of Irish Sea ports. This follows the forced closure of Holyhead Port in late 2024 after damage to its berths.

However, the Taskforce statement refers only to Holyhead when discussing Welsh ports, overlooking the significant role played by both Pembroke Dock and Fishguard Harbour.

Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire Senedd Member Samuel Kurtz and his fellow Welsh Conservative, Preseli Pembrokeshire MS Paul Davies said that these ports are not only vital ferry terminals, but also provided essential additional Irish Sea crossings when Holyhead was forced to close; and while the statement does acknowledge the potential need for further improvements to the A40 and A477 trunk roads through Pembrokeshire, it makes no direct reference to the ports themselves.

Mr Davies remarked: “Pembrokeshire plays a strategically vital role in strengthening the long‑standing relationship between Wales and Ireland and so it’s disappointing that our local ports were not acknowledged in the Welsh Government’s latest statement on the Irish Sea Taskforce.

“These ports are critical to our regional economy, and they form an essential part of the wider UK–Ireland connectivity network. Moving forward, I look forward to hearing more about how the Welsh Government will be improving the A40 to better support trade links between the two countries.

“I’ve long campaigned for the A40 to be dualled to Fishguard and I hope the Welsh Government will seriously consider this proposal, as a way of further strengthening the transport network in the region.”

Mr Kurtz added: “Paul and I are deeply concerned that this Taskforce has not been given the same level of attention to the needs of the ports at Pembroke Dock and Fishguard as it has to Holyhead.

“These ports are central to the Pembrokeshire economy, they came to the rescue when Holyhead was forced to close, and their role and futures must not be overlooked, and I’ve raised this repeatedly on the floor of the Senedd.

“Sadly, yet again it seems that Pembrokeshire and all it can offer, is a blind spot for Labour Ministers in Cardiff Bay.”

Ken Skates MS, Cabinet Secretary for Transport said in his statement: “The Task Force was established to address the resilience of Welsh, Irish Sea Ports following incidents at Holyhead Port and the observation of more frequent port closures due to bad weather as climate change takes effect.

“Discussions over the past 12 months within the Irish Sea Taskforce has reinforced the importance of Holyhead and our other Irish Sea facing ports to communities in Wales and Ireland and beyond, and our shared interest and responsibility, both now and in the future, to make sure they thrive and grow.”