asked the Minister for Tourism and Transport if he has taken any fresh initiative to put a boat on the Cork-Swansea route to open up the link between the south-west region and the United Kingdom and Europe.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Cork-Swansea Ferry Link.
22.
The Government are concerned that as many commercial access transport links as possible be developed by air and sea in the interests of the national tourism effort. It has, however, been made clear in response to previous Dáil questions in this matter that it is not a function of my Department to provide ferry services between Ireland and other countries. That is a matter which is entirely for the commercial discretion of ferry operators. Bearing in mind, however, the value of the Cork-Swansea ferry service and local fund-raising efforts to assist the ferry service, the Government were prepared, on an exceptional basis, to make available to that service an Exchequer grant of £500,000, together with a loan of up to £500,000 to be repaid in September 1989. Regrettably, Swansea-Cork Ferries Limited announced last February that the service would not operate in 1989 as the company were unable to charter a suitable vessel.
I understand that local efforts are continuing with a view to the restoration of the Cork-Swansea service in 1990. I wish the promoters every success in their efforts, and I must stress that any ferry service on the route must be commercially self-sustaining in order to ensure its continued survival and lasting benefit to the local community.
How will one of the main objectives of the national plan be realised in the absence of a direct ferry service to the south-west region, beginning as of this year? The statement to which I refer says that the major objective is the alleviation of a disadvantage associated with the isolated location of the south-west region. Could I remind the Minister that in a previous Question Time in this House he accepted that the provision of a ferry service into this very isolated region was the kind of project that ought to qualify, uniquely qualify, for aid under the Structural Funds? Having admitted that, has he taken any steps at all to make provision for a funds incentive to get the ferry service restored under the national plan or the application which has been made to Brussels for funds?
I dispute very much the Deputy's statement that this was an isolated part of the country. She went on to say that it was a very isolated part of the country. An area which boasts Waterford Airport, Cork Airport and Farranfore Airport could not be described in any way as an isolated part of the country.
I was just quoting from the National Development Plan.
Quotations are not in order at Question Time.
It is the Government's description, not mine.
Please, Deputy Quill.
The second part of the question is covered by what I have said already to Deputy Barry, namely, that as I understand it, the ferry company still have hopes of developing a service in 1990. Up to a couple of weeks ago we thought we might have a limited summer service, but that does not seem to be the case, and the situation as of now is that the company have not abandoned the idea of having a service in 1990.
After the failure of the Cork-Swansea group to find a boat to put on the route, did the Minister or his Department approach any other tour operator, for example, did they approach Irish Ferries or any other operator to put a boat on the route for the summer season?
It is true to say that I suggested that the ferry company in Cork and Irish Ferries should get together, and I believe they had some kind of preliminary discussions with a view to possibly putting a ferry on the route.
Would the Minister agree that the failure to provide a service this year can be attributed to the Government's delay in giving a commitment at a time when the local authorities had made a commitment and the public generally had subscribed to the service?
I reject totally the Deputy's suggestion — there was no delay on the part of the Government, in fact there was a very generous offer on the part of the Government. I would like to state also that the ferry company are on record as saying that the delay had nothing to do with the lack of continuity of the service.
Will the £0.5 million and the other inducements which were being made available be available again if a proposal comes forward in the coming year to provide a ferry service for next year and the following years?
As the Deputy knows, he was a member of Government, we budget from year to year and I could not say whether that money will be available as it does not carry past 31 December. There is no reason to believe that the Government will not look as favourably on a viable proposal from the Cork company in 1990 as was the case this year.
A final question from Deputy Quill.
Does the Minister see any contradiction between spending public money in developing golfing, fishing and family type tourist activities in a region which has no direct ferry service into it, bearing in mind that people who use golfing facilities, who come fishing or come on family type holidays, travel by ferry, that they do not tend to travel by plane? Is there not a contradiction in developing one and not the other? Would the Minister admit that the absence of a ferry service into the south-west region makes a total nonsense of the tourist projections and undermines the total credibility of the job projections in the national plan?
The Deputy is not accurate; first, Cork is not without a ferry and the Deputy knows that very well. She lives in Cork city——
It is not to the UK.
She knows that, but she did not specify it as she said it is a place without a ferry service.
It was in my question.
You knew very well what she meant.
The Deputy knows, and the other Cork Deputies know, that Cork was without a ferry service for a number of years, but there was not the same clamour then as there seems to be emanating from there now.
There was.
A decision was taken at one point to discontinue a ferry service to Cork so I see no doom and gloom about the situation there. I have more confidence in the people of Cork, in their initiative and enterprise and in their spirit of entrepreneurship than in some of the people who represent them.
How can we have tourists in the region if they do not have access to it?
I now call Question No. 24.