ALTHOUGH the process has been long drawn out and well signalled, the probable end today of Bell Lines' long association with Waterford still evoked a strong reaction from local public representatives, trade unions and business interests.

The fate of the 100-strong, local Bell workforce was the main focus of concern, but it was repeatedly pointed out that the port crisis could have a multiple impact throughout the south-east region.

The mayor of Waterford, Councillor Tom Cunningham, said the news was "a body blow of immense proportions, not only to Waterford, but to the entire region".

"I am shocked at the treatment of the employees at the moment," he said. "A number of them I have spoken to tell me they have been kept in the dark.

"All our deputies in Dail Eireann, but in particular those from the Government parties, should use all of their influence and press the Minister for Employment to call in the examiner for discussions. I'm calling on the political parties now to unite and save these jobs for Waterford. This entire (Bell) operation underpins the economic strength of this community and this region."

The general manager of Waterford Harbour Commissioners (WHC), Mr John Clancy, who is also chairman of the Waterford Chamber of Commerce, said the closure of Bell would be "a sad day for the city.

"Bell has been in Waterford since the 1960s and had developed into a tremendously profitable company over the years until the problems of recent times," he said. "Bell has been good for Waterford and Waterford has been good for Bell.

"We have spent in the order of Pounds 35 million over the last six years to develop this state-of-the-art facility, with the assistance of grant aid from Europe."

He expressed confidence that WHC would be able to detain some of the port business immediately and build on it from there. "The terminal is open for business for any operators that are interested. Our main concern is to retain the business in Waterford and maintain the employment that has been here in the past."

Mr Walter Cullen, district officer of the ATGWU, which represents most of the Bell workers, said the employees had done everything possible to help the efforts to make the examinership of Bell succeed.

Mr Cullen said a heavy onus now rested on the harbour commissioners. They had, he said, advocated a liquidation some time ago believing that they could find alternative companies to operate the port. It was now incumbent on them to ensure that the present workforce would be employed by any new operators who came in.

The Waterford Fianna Fail TD, Mr Martin Cullen, told the local radio station that the Government would do all it could to secure the future of the port.

He said he had already been in touch with both the Department of the Marine, and the Department of Enterprise and Employment about the situation, but the main concern had to be for the future of the workers at Bell. He had requested that all the relevant state agencies should be mobilised to help them.

He added that the vital infrastructural role of Waterford Port would be undiminished in spite of the demise of Bell. "There is no question but that the port is a national strategic asset and vital to the whole national infrastructure.

Several potential alternative carriers interested in using Waterford Port and acquiring sections of the Bell operations are believed to be in contact with WHC. Earlier yesterday, Mr Clancy warned the hauliers who were "sitting in" outside the port entrance that their activities could be giving such customers "the wrong vibes" about what was happening there.

At peak operations, the port is believed to have handled up to 8 per cent of the country's external trade, and up to 40 per cent of container trade with Europe.

IBEC pointed out yesterday that Waterford had for many years been the strategic container route out of Ireland to England and to the continent of Europe. Closure of Bell, the dominant port user, would put pressure on other routes which were already stretched to the limit. It could put upward pressure on shipping rates, as demand outstripped supply.

However, hauliers outside the terminal yesterday were sceptical about some of the claims made about the port's efficiency.

They claimed that they regularly experienced delays of 10 or 11 hours there, and that it was not in fact capable of the 24-hour, seven-day operations which it advertised.

This may be because the dredging operations to create deep-water berths disturbed sand and mud patterns downstream, and some heavy shipping has to wait for appropriate high tides in order to cross sand bars at the mouth of the port.

Nonetheless, with its wide-span gantry crane now ready to resume operations, the port will again be capable of providing rapid turn-around times for freight carriers and will attract the interest of a number of major international shipping lines.

The main interest of the bigger domestic freight carriers will lie in securing Bell's substantial customer base - the principal asset of the ill- fated company.