Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 20 February 2018
626. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if the decision to replace the ferry to Tory Island built in 1992 with a 1976 built model will be reviewed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8652/18]
View answerMy Department provides funding for passenger and ferry services to Ireland’s inhabited offshore islands, including Toraigh. It also has a range of supports in place for the island, in the context of its responsibility to support our offshore islands, but also in support of the Gaeltacht community.
In 2017, my Department ran an open tender competition, in accordance with public procurement rules, for the provision of a passenger and light cargo ferry service for Toraigh Island. At the early stages of this process, I, along with officials from my Department, met with representatives from Tory Island Co-op. The islanders requested that it be a condition of the new contract that the duration of the journey would be no longer than 30 minutes. This request was deemed impractical as to be this specific in a tender document could result in no tenders being received in a very limited market.
Two tenders were received and, following evaluation, the contract for this service was awarded to the company, Réalt na Maidne Teo, using the vessel, MV Queen of Aran. This contract will come into effect from 1 April 2018 and run for a 5 year period. While this vessel is, indeed, older than the one currently used on the service, it is currently undergoing a full refit, in consultation with the Marine Survey Office (MSO) of the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport which has statutory responsibility for the safety of passenger vessels in Ireland.
Once in operation, the new service will be a considerable improvement on that currently provided:
- The vessel will have a newly installed lift for passengers with impaired mobility;
- The vessel will be faster than the current vessel and carry more passengers;
- A dedicated bus service will be provided between An Bun Beag and Machaire Rabhartaigh on days when it cannot dock at the latter pier, and previously islanders had to arrange taxis from An Bun Beag to Machaire Rabhartaigh; and
- The operator will provide additional cargo services as part of the contract.
The Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht has long recognised that Toraigh is unique among the offshore islands. In addition to ferry services, in 2016, the Department agreed to fund additional winter time helicopter services to Toraigh, moving from a fortnightly to a weekly service.
There has been continuous contact between myself, my Department and representatives of Comharchumann Thoraí in relation to this issue. I have met with representatives from the island on a number of occasions - September 2017, at a public meeting in Toraigh on 12 January 2018, again on 2 February, to discuss the commencement of the contract and islanders’ concerns.
Recognising the concerns expressed by islanders, my Department has offered a number of options for future ferry services to Toraigh. These include:
- The building of a new vessel to service the island, or the purchase of a new vessel and
- Development of the pier at Machaire Rabhartaigh in order to accommodate any new vessel.
Subsidising the provision of a separate fast ferry service for the island to supplement the new service scheduled to commence on 1st April 2018, its existing heavy cargo service and the island’s weekly winter air service. This fast ferry service would require a small boat with a capacity of between 12 and 20 passengers, operating alongside the main service and the island’s subsidised weekly winter air service.
These options have been presented to the representatives from the co-op, who have agreed to consider them and revert to my Department in due course.
At every stage of this process, I have reiterated my commitment to pursuing these options. I would point out that with the exception of the complementary fast ferry service, the options of a newly built, or a newly purchased vessel, and the associated developments at Machaire Rabhartaigh pier will take time to progress. The Deputy will also be pleased to learn that the development of the pier at Machaire Rabhartaigh and the provision of a new passenger vessel for the island has been included in the new National Development Plan, Project Ireland 2040, announced last week.
In the meantime, the Department has in place a legal contract to commence the new ferry service provided by Réalt na Maidne Teoranta on 1 April 2018.
