I cannot be accused of making an election speech as this ship is not situated anywhere near my constituency. The last few days have seen the Jeannie Johnston project receive a significantly bad press. My purpose in raising this issue is not to mount further criticism on a project that has been attacked from all sides recently due to its massive overspend. Everyone who has taken an interest in the Jeannie Johnston project is well aware of the overspend and budgetary mistakes that have resulted in a project estimated to cost €5.5 million in 1999 costing nearly €15.3 million to date. Kerry County Council and the Department of the Marine and Natural Resources on two occasions have had to put rescue packages together to ensure the project continued.
It is stating the obvious to say the project is now in crisis but every crisis presents an opportunity. Many people seem to be convinced that we should close down the project and cut our losses. This would be a great mistake. If we set aside the massive overspend and consider the capital asset that is now the Jeannie Johnston our views on her future may change. She is a magnificent tall ship, the largest wooden ship ever built in Ireland with three times the capacity of Asgard II, our national tall ship. Rather than aborting the Jeannie Johnston in stillbirth we should be giving her the chance to live and prove herself on the ocean, for 2002 at least, now that she is virtually completed anyway.
I agree with the principle that the vessel should not cost the State significant sums of money to run on an annual basis in the long-term. However, so much public money has been committed already it should not be wasted by abandoning the project when there is considerable scope for a long-term profitable solution.
The following measures could amount to a solution. In the short-term all financial obligations must be sorted out and a clean title of ownership put in place. I understand the trade debts could be paid off with the existing resources available from the sale of the dock which was specially constructed for the project. The ownership of the vessel should not be handed over to Kerry County Council or to any local group in Kerry, as clearly the expertise for a project of this scale can only be found nationally. Instead, the ship should become an asset of the State – a national asset – and given to an organisation or professional team of people, nominated by the Minister if he sees fit, with proven management experience to run as a sail training vessel for the remainder of 2002. If this revenue commitment from the State could be secured for nine to ten months with no long-term financial commitment it would give breathing space and an opportunity for a long-term plan to be put in place, combining a public private partnership, when the vessel has proven herself at sea.
Now that the capital expenditure has been spent and there is no way of getting it back, there is no reason the project cannot be a success in the future. Denmark, for example, has three vessels the size of the Jeannie Johnston and all are being run successfully. Germany has a similar number and so do most Scandinavian countries. In the US the Pride of Baltimore is an example of a ship that is funded 30% by the city of Baltimore and 60% to 70% privately.
The State has spent €10 million and I want to see this ship given the chance to return a dividend to the State, rather than being abandoned. With a proper management team in place the opportunities for this ship are huge, at a relatively low cost. The promotional voyage to the US that has already been planned as a North-South project would be very positive and welcome, particularly considering the events of 11 September. The ship could be used as a training vessel for nautical students in the new national maritime college in Cork, who will need a vessel for sail training anyway.
Most importantly, the ship could be used for the provision of rehabilitation voyages for troubled young people. There is significant evidence of rehabilitative success with juvenile offenders in similar vessels, particularly in Scandinavia. The team work, discipline and bonding involved in crewing such a vessel can add significantly to self-esteem, confidence and self-discipline. When one considers the massive annual expense to the State of housing or incarcerating juvenile offenders with little success in rehabilitation, funding this ship may well make economic as well as social sense.
I ask that this ship be given an opportunity to give something back to the State. It has taken a massive amount of money to build. With the right team and management structure in place we could be proud of this ship in ten years time.