Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 19 Oct 1999

Vol. 509 No. 4

Adjournment Debate. - Ferry Services.

Mr. Ring

It gives me no pleasure to raise this matter but I am doing so because this tender has caused outrage on Clare Island. Chris O'Grady and his family operated the ferry service for many years. Over the years, Mr. O'Grady fought to get a ferry service for the island. Some years ago he started the service which was the only ferry service to the island. He was doing so before the Department paid any subsidy. The Gaeltacht islands had an advantage which the non-Gaeltacht islands did not enjoy. Mr. O'Grady fought with many Taoisigh to secure this service but he was badly treated by the Department and the Minister this year. It was not the time to have a go at him as he lost his wife and father-in-law this year and his son was in a serious accident.

How can any Department give a tender or a licence to someone who does not have a boat? An individual obtained a licence on 1 September. That person then bought a boat which went into service on 8 October. This issue will not finish here tonight. I have nothing against the person who bought the boat. However, I would have applied for this tender if I knew I was going to be successful and I would then have bought the boat. Mr. O'Grady put his life's savings and his life's work into buying a boat. The boat which was awarded the tender can only carry passengers, it cannot carry cargo or animals.

I will write to Deputy Jim Mitchell, Chairman of the Committee of Public Accounts, to ask that he investigate the tendering process as there was major political interference in this case. I am sorry the Minister with responsibility for this mat ter is not in the House but there was political interference in this case as no Minister could give someone without a boat a licence to operate a ferry service.

Mr. N. O'Keeffe

The Deputy should repeat that outside the House.

Mr. Ring

If everything was equitable and everything was right, I would have no problem but everything was not equitable and right. There was political interference. I will get this investigated by the Committee of Public Accounts and the Minister and the officials in the Department who took part in this will be obliged to answer to the general public because there was misconduct in that Department when it allocated a licence to somebody who did not have a boat.

Tonight I want an answer from the Minister and I do not want him to read the Civil Service script which will state that everything was above board. Everything was not above board. A licence could not be given to somebody who did not have a boat. If I knew that I would get the contract for three years, I would have applied for that licence. Why did he not apply last year? He did not have a boat. Why did he not apply the year before? He did not have a boat. He did not have a boat when he made the application to the Department and it awarded him a contract. Political skulduggery is what I call it.

Tomorrow I will write to Deputy Jim Mitchell, the Chairman of the Committee of Public Accounts, to ask the committee to call the officials and the paperwork. I requested the paperwork under the Freedom of Information Act, 1997, and of course an official told me it would take months to process it. They gave me some answers but tomorrow I will write to Deputy Mitchell.

I hope this will not happen again. I am sorry that this has been a bad year for Mr. Chris O'Grady and his family. He and his family have employed many people on Clare Island over the years. They run the local hotel.

An Leas-Cheann Comhairle

Deputy Ring, you should not mention the names of people who are not Members of the House.

Mr. Ring

Mr. O'Grady does not mind me mentioning his name because the O'Grady family kept Clare Island going for many years. They owned the hotel and many students have worked there over the summers. They created badly needed employment and they got a kick in the teeth from the Minister.

An Leas-Cheann Comhairle

Your time has concluded.

Mr. Ring

I suppose I will get the Civil Service answer but this will not end here. It may end in another building across the way.

Mr. N. O'Keeffe

First, I apologise for the absence of the Minister of State at the Department of Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands, Deputy Ó Cuív, the Minister with responsibility in this area. Tenders for this service were sought by open competition, with advertisements in the national and local newspapers. In addition, a number of ferryboat companies known to the Department of Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands were invited to tender. The tenders that were received were considered by officials of that Department under the normal criteria. These criteria included price, suitability of the vessels—

Mr. Ring

There was no vessel.

Mr. N. O'Keeffe

—frequency of sailings and fares charged to passengers.

Mr. Ring

There was no vessel. That is the problem.

An Leas-Cheann Comhairle

Please allow the Minister to continue without interruption.

Mr. N. O'Keeffe

Two tenders were received, one of which was considerably in excess of the other. As a result it was necessary in the interest of the taxpayer to consider further the proposals submitted in the lowest tender. It was stated in this tender that while the tenderer in question did not yet have the vessel for which he was quoting in his possession he would acquire same if his tender were successful but that it needed some modifications, which would take a number of weeks and might not be ready by 1 September 1999.

A preliminary report on the boat was sought from an inspector of navigation of the waterways division of the Department of Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands. This report indicated that the boat was almost new and should be suitable subject to some modifications and the acquisition of the necessary passenger boat licence from the Department of the Marine and Natural Resources to enable it to operate in the environs of Clew Bay.

Having considered all relevant factors, including the delay beyond 1 September, the date on which it was proposed to commence the subsidised passenger ferry service, and the difference between the prices quoted by the tenderers, officials recommended that the cheaper tender be accepted, subject to the usual conditions, including his having all the necessary certificates before commencing the service. The Minister of State at the Department of Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands accepted that recommendation and understands that the vessel is now in service and has been licensed to carry a maximum of 46 persons.

It must be emphasised that there is no suggestion that the quality of service provided in the past was not satisfactory. A monitoring committee consisting of officials from the Department of Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands and representatives from the Clare Island community was satisfied that the service was very good. However, the Minister of State, Deputy Ó Cuív has no reason to believe the service under the new contract will not be equally good. Deputy Ó Cuív wishes to assure the Deputy that all the proper procedures were followed in this case. I hope that clarifies the position.

Mr. Ring

I am not satisfied.

The Dáil adjourned at 9.06 p.m. until 10.30 a.m. on Wednesday, 20 October 1999.