Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 5 April 2022
74. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development when the current contracts for the ferry and air services to the Aran Islands and Inishbofin in County Galway will expire and new tenders sought; the proposed improvements being planned for these services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17916/22]
View answerThe Minister might outline when the various contracts to the Aran Islands and Inishbofin and, more important, the planned improvements that she intends to introduce to these services, will come to a conclusion. I say this because they do need improvements. They were brought forward about ten or 15 years ago. However, they have remained static or, in case of the Aer Arann service, regressed terribly in the last ten years.
I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. As he is aware, the public service obligation, PSO, status of the air service to the Aran Islands lapsed some years ago. My Department is now bringing the service back into EU public service obligation regularity compliance. The procurement process is currently under way for the new contract. Once completed, it will bring long-term certainty of service to the island communities. The existing contract for the air service to the Aran Islands will continue in the interim to ensure that there is no break in service. I am confident that a successful operator for the service will be announced in the coming weeks and that the island communities will have a better air service over the next four years.
With regard to the ferry service to the Aran Islands, the existing contract will run to 30 November 2022. As with the air service renewal, my Department has engaged with the island communities to discuss the current service and improvements that can be included in the tender document. The main issues of concern are the sailings timetables, the challenges for users with reduced mobility boarding and alighting from the ferry. My Department will endeavour to address these issues as best it can through the tender document.
Finally, the current contract for the Inishbofin ferry service will continue to 31 December 2024. Given that this contract will be in place for over two and a half more years, there are no plans to commence a new procurement procedure in the near future.
Can the Minister tell me if there will be increased frequency of PSO flights to the island under the new island Aer Arann contract? Second, is she planning to have increased frequency of ferry services to the islands? As I said in my original question, it is the way it was 15 years ago when we brought it up very rapidly to that level of service. However, it was never intended that it would stay at that level forever. This is because there are increased demands all the time. Third, is there a proposal to provide an air service to Inishbofin, which is very urgently needed?
There is no proposal for an air service to Inishbofin. As I understand it, there is no particular demand for an air service there. In terms of the ferry service, a number of issues have been raised by the islanders. We have taken those on board. All contracts, as the Deputy knows, are procured through a tendering process and adhere to all procurement rules and regulations. All competitions are conducted in an open, fair and transparent manner. As part of any contract renewal, the Department seeks submissions from the island communities on how a service can or could be improved. Submissions are assessed by the Department and, if permissible, are included in the tender document. As I said, if permissible, they are included in it.
The Aran Islands are currently connected to the mainland by reliable and frequent air, ferry and cargo services. The ferry and heavy cargo service to Inishbofin is operating well at present. They are looking for a number of things, including extra savings and disabled access. We have consulted with the islanders and we will try to include as much as we can in the request for tender.
In improving the services, can the Minister confirm whether the islanders benefit from a 20% reduction in air and ferry fares, like the rest of the country did for internal public transport from 1 April? As the Minister knows, they pay some of the most expensive fares. They have no option but to take public transport to get in and out of the islands. Can the Minister confirm to me whether they did or did not benefit from the 20% decrease in public transport fares that apply to all rail and buses that were publicly contracted?
As the Deputy is aware, the Government recently announced schemes that are designed to lessen the impact of the rise in the cost of living that is currently being experienced by all sections of our society. One such announcement includes a €54 million package that will see a 20% average fare reduction on PSO bus and rail services that are managed by the National Transport Authority, NTA, on behalf of the Government. That scheme does not extend to other transport contracts that are funded by the Department of Transport or to the transport services to the offshore islands that are funded by my Department. Although the Department is not opposed to the introduction of such a scheme for island residents, it is concerned that retrospectively applying a fare reduction to contracts that were procured through a public procurement process may create issues for private and subsidised operators.
I am happy to look at this. I have written to the Attorney General seeking advice and clarity on the issue. That advice will be made available to the Department in the coming weeks. The island's ferries are subsidised to the tune of 50%.
What about buses? I mean no disrespect but buses and trains are subsidised and there seems to be no problem with public procurement in that regard.
I thank the Minister and Deputy. Our time for this question has elapsed.
As I said, I have written to the Attorney General and I will await his advice on the issue. The Deputy can understand we do not want to cause difficulties with any procurement process that leaves us open to challenges.
I will return to Question No. 73; we are travelling backwards. I remind Deputies that in the event of substitutions, an email should be sent to the office of the Ceann Comhairle to update the House on it. Question No. 73 was originally in the name of Deputy Gould but it will be put by Deputy Ó Laoghaire.
