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Ferry Services Provision

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 3 December 2013

Tuesday, 3 December 2013

Questions (215, 216, 217, 218)

Seán Kyne

Question:

215. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht further to Parliamentary Question No. 431 of 26 November 2013, the qualifications the adjudicators of the tender process in the provision of cargo services to the Aran Islands had regarding issues of marine and maritime practice; and if he is satisfied with the level of qualifications in view of the specialist issues at stake. [51937/13]

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Seán Kyne

Question:

216. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht further to Parliamentary Question No. 431 of 26 November 2013, if the present operators of the Aran Islands cargo service are in adherence with the tender requirements to dock at Inis Meáin pier; if the present vessel being used has the thruster power to dock in bad weather at Inis Meáin; the number of days in 2013 in which the vessel has been unable to dock; and if other unsuccessful tenders had vessels with a thruster power superior to that of the successful tender. [51940/13]

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Seán Kyne

Question:

217. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht further to Parliamentary Question No. 431 of 26 November 2013, if in the open competitive tender process unsuccessful candidates had a vessel which fulfilled the stated criteria of being able to transport petrol and of having a crane capable of landing cargo; and if he will provide the marks they were awarded in comparison with the successful tender applicant. [51945/13]

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Seán Kyne

Question:

218. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht further to Parliamentary Question No. 431 of 26 November 2013, if this response confirms that the service provider successful in the tender process is not currently, nor since 1 January 2013, providing a service within the terms specified in the tender documents. [51948/13]

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Written answers

I propose to take Questions Nos. 215 to 218, inclusive, together.

The tenders received for the Aran Islands cargo service were assessed by a committee comprising officials from my Department. This is in accordance with the standard approach adopted in relation to the assessment of all ferry service tenders. While the officials in question do not hold technical qualifications of the nature referred to by the Deputy, I am satisfied that they have significant and adequate experience in assessing tenders of this nature.

I can also assure the Deputy that I am satisfied that the contract in this case was awarded following an open and fair tendering process, using the scoring system contained in the Request For Tender. It may be noted that the scoring of such tenders entails the assessment of a range of elements, with various marks available for each of those elements. A significant proportion of the available marks is allocated to the tender price - 40% of the overall marks in this instance. I should also point out that the successful tender in this case came in at a cost to the State which was considerably lower than the other tenders received.

In relation to docking on Inis Meáin, my Department’s information is that the cargo vessel failed to dock there on 2 days in the period from 1 January 2013 to 31 October 2013. It may also be noted that my Department has not, during this period, received any significant complaints from island representatives with regard to the cargo service that is being provided in this case.

In conclusion, I want to emphasise that my Department is dedicated to ensuring that a quality cargo service is in place for the Aran Islands. A number of issues that remain to be addressed have been raised with the operator and I can assure the Deputy that these are currently being pursued. I can also assure the Deputy that my Department will invoke any remedies that are available to it to ensure full compliance with its requirements within a reasonable timeframe.

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