Following a meeting on Monday, Mr Skates said port operator Stena assured him there would be answers by Wednesday “at the latest”, on whether it will be reopened by the end of the week, as it hoped.

However, he added that Stena and Irish Ferries were still making “all plans possible to get goods and people back to Ireland and vice versa before Christmas”, via ports in Wales and the rest of the UK.

Mr Harris said it was “a serious concern” to people who have bought gifts that they hope will arrive, and those trying to get home for Christmas.

Stena apologised for the cancellation of its Holyhead sailings, and said it was “doing everything in its power to mitigate the effects of the closure on passenger and freight traffic”.

The ferry operater said they were assessing additional sailings from Dublin to its ports in Birkenhead and Fishguard, as well as from Belfast to Cairnryan and Heysham to assist the flow of trade and passengers.

Four daily ferry sailings travel each way between Holyhead and Dublin, operated by Stena Line and Irish Ferries.

On average, two million passengers use Holyhead a year and about 1,200 lorries and trailers make the crossing every day.