For the second week running, residents in Passage East, Co Waterford, blockaded the local car-ferry service yesterday evening as part of a dispute over congestion in the village.
There is increasing tension between local people and the operator of the ferry from Passage East to Ballyhack in Co Wexford. Yesterday's blockade caused major traffic delays in Waterford and New Ross.
The service cuts about 50km off the journey between the two counties and has been running across the Suir estuary since 1982. Up to 1.2 million people use it each year and August is particularly busy as usage rises to 1,500 cars per day. FBD Insurance has a 70 per cent stake in the company.
Local Fine Gael councillor John Carey said: "The traffic is horrendous. You can't let children out in the evening, it's so dangerous. It's of no benefit whatsoever to us and all it causes is pollution and hassle. We would love to see it shut down."
The ferry company has been in talks with Government departments and Waterford County Council to build a new access road and pier farther up river to solve the issue.
"I can't see that happening in the next 10 years and we can't afford to wait that long," Mr Carey said.
Managing director of Passage East Ferry Company, Derek Donnelly, said the blockade was "an over-reaction to the inconvenience caused. The impression is given that the village is congested all the time. 90 per cent of the time that's not the case. I am sympathetic to their problems and people have a right to protest but a blockade is different. They are preventing passengers from getting off the ferry."
Senior engineer in Waterford County Council, Vincent O'Connor, says the council has written to the Department of the Environment on the issue.