asked the Minister for Transport and Power if it has yet been possible to secure a ship to maintain the ferry service plying between Le Harve and Rosslare Harbour for the 1972 season.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Le Harve-Rosslare Ferry Service.
12.
So far Irish Shipping Ltd. have met with no success in their efforts to induce Normandy Ferries to resume the Rosslare-Le Harve service or in their efforts to provide an alternative service. Negotiations with Normandy Ferries are, however, still continuing.
Will the Minister state how long negotiations are in progress, when these negotiations started and when it is hoped to have an answer to this question?
They started about a month ago. The difficulty in the matter is that there are two companies, the British company and the French company, involved. The chairman of Irish Shipping has had discussions with the new chairman of the British company concerned and at the moment the chairman of Irish Shipping and the assistant manager are with the French partner, Saga, in Paris and the discussions are taking place at this very moment in Paris.