Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 8 September 2020
371. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Media, Tourism, Arts, Culture, Sport and the Gaeltacht the specific contracts agreed to ensure ferry, cargo and air services to the offshore islands; and the specific per month number of passengers or tonnage carried by each contracted service in 2019. [21921/20]
View answerMy Department holds 26 contracts with ferry, bus, air and cargo operators to ensure that the offshore islands have reliable, year round, cargo ferry and air services. These services provide life line support for the island populations in terms of providing mainland access while also supporting local economies through the tourism sector.
In 2019, these services carried 523,828 ferry and bus passengers, 31,100 air passengers and 26,351 tonnes of cargo. Details of all of these contracts, including holders and values of contracts, are available on my Department's website at the following link:
https://www.chg.gov.ie/app/uploads/2019/12/26-11-2019-subsidised-transport-services-and-airstrip-management.pdf.
Details of passenger numbers and cargo carried are set out in the attached tables.
