Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 14 July 2020
356. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the steps she plans to take to reduce the cost of transporting goods to the islands in view of the disproportionate cost associated with freight on purchases by islanders; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14787/20]
View answerMy Department currently has 11 different contracts in place to transport light and heavy cargo to the off shore islands. Of these contracts, 9 are dedicated solely to the provision of carrying heavy cargo at a cost of €1.3 million per year to the Exchequer. These subsidies are of great benefit to the islanders as they provide a real reduction in the cost of transporting goods to and from the islands which would otherwise be too expensive to transport.
The subsidies provided by my Department also ensure that cargo vessels travel in accordance with agreed schedules to the islands, thus ensuring regularity of service for island communities.
I should also point out that the schedule of charges for the transport of cargo to the islands was reduced significantly by my Department a number of years ago and that these charges have remained largely unchanged since. This initiative has ensured that the real cost of cargo transport has reduced significantly over the past number of years.
