Aran Island ferry reprieve ‘delights’ locals but clarification sought

Aran Island residents who were facing the loss of the sole ferry link to Inis Mór from next week have been told the service is to continue.

The Department of Gaeltacht confirmed last night agreement had been reached with the ferry operator to continue the service “until the end of April 2016 and thereafter throughout the summer”.

Island Ferries Ltd told Aran Island Co-op (Comharchumann Forbartha Árann) last month that the service between Ros a' Mhíl and Inis Mór would cease on January 17th, and would not resume until March, following a Supreme Court ruling on passenger and harbour dues.

This deadline was then extended to January 31st, as Minister of State for the Gaeltacht Joe McHugh attempted to broker a deal on the issue.

The ferry company had taken two sets of proceedings arising from passenger charges imposed on the island, and harbour charges at Ros a’ Mhíl – losing its appeal on one and winning on the second.

The company had objected to collecting passenger dues, levied to pay for a €50 million harbour extension on Inis Mór, for which the local authority is still owed monies.

Inis Meáin and Inis Oírr were not affected by its decision to cancel the Inis Mór winter run, as there is a Government contract for the smaller islands.

Agreement

The department said a “written agreement was being drafted . . . for the period from February 1st to April 30th, 2016”.

Comharchumann Forbartha Árann spokeswoman Cathy Ní Ghoill said that while the co-op was “delighted that the service is continuing”, it needed “clarification on a contract and on equality of ticket price”.

Fares to Inis Mór have been more expensive than those to the two other islands due to absence of a Government contract, she noted.

In a separate development, Minister for the Environment Alan Kelly has allocated €8 million for a long-awaited extension to the pier on the southernmost Aran island of Inis Oírr.

All three islands are still facing an uncertain future over the air service, following the row last year over the Government's attempt to award a new contract to a helicopter company, operating from the east side of Galway city.