Vol. 496 No. 6
368 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands the progress, if any, made on the cable car project for the island of Inishbiggle, Achill, County Mayo; and the funding, if any, which will be made available to this project from her Department. [23580/98]
I share the Deputy's concern in regard to the question of access between Inishbiggle and the mainland. However, as I have indicated to the House on previous occasions, any solution will prove expensive and it is imperative, therefore, to arrive at the optimum solution.
In order to progress the issue and to arrive at this important decision as soon as possible, my Department
—has requested updated reports and estimates from Mayo County Council in respect of a number of options which were previously examined — namely, a hanging bridge link at Bull's Mouth, a multi-span bridge link via Inishagoo Island and a causeway link via Annagh Island;
—is preparing a report on the feasibility of ferry access; and
—has made arrangements to appoint an independent consultant to examine and advise on the proposal put forward by Comhar Bigil Teo in regard to the cable-car option.
