Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 29 Apr 1999

Vol. 504 No. 1

Written Answers. - Offshore Islands.

Pádraic McCormack

Question:

26 Mr. McCormack asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands if she will make a statement on the quality of access available to offshore islands; and the proposals, if any, she has in this regard. [11056/99]

Minister of State at the Department of Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands (Éamon Ó Cuív)

When I took office I made the improvement of the quality of access to offshore islands one of my top priorities.

In 1998, my Department spent almost £0.7 million on the provision of subsidised ferry services to a number of offshore islands. A subsidised winter ferry service was introduced for the first time in 1994 serving Clare Island and Inishturk, County Mayo and Inishboffin, County Galway. In addition to this, after close consultation with the island communities concerned, a daily service was introduced serving the two smaller Aran Islands, Inis Meáin and Inis Oírr, thus improving significantly the level of service to these two islands. It is intended in 1999 to continue my Departments work on improving the availability of adequate transport between the islands and the mainland. This will involve a continued improvement of ferry services together with the examination of access by air to some islands.

Progress is also being made in the consideration of the application for the provision of a cable car to Inis Bigil.

I also recently informed Comhdháil Oileáin na hÉireann that I hope to make decisions regarding the ferry services to the Cork islands by the end of June.

My Department has also made a considerable investment in piers serving the offshore islands over the last few years. This included funding of over £1.7 million which I approved last year for the improvement of landing facilities on five islands off the County Cork coast and expenditure of almost £0.9 million on the continuation of major marine works on Tory Island. It is my intention to continue my Department's investment in both pier infrastructure and access services in order to further improve the quality of access available to offshore islands.