Aran islanders travelled in force into Galway yesterday to voice their opposition to a new levy on ferry travel.
A reduced form of the levy was voted through by councillors last night, after a heated debate – during which one Fianna Fáíl councillor compared it to “being charged every time you turn the key in your door latch”.
Some 250 residents of the largest of the three islands, Inis Mór, who staged a protest outside Galway County Council headquarters, have described the levy as “discriminatory” .
The charge is intended to pay for the running costs of a new €40 million harbour, constructed several years ago at Cill Rónain.
Inis Mór co-op manager Cathy Ní Ghoill explained that the residents had no issue with paying their share of State levies, as in tax, value added tax, the health levy and household charges.
However, they objected in principle to a new charge, which would effectively increase the costs of living offshore, and would, in time, be extended to other offshore communities if approved, in their view.
“We pay 20 per cent more on average for everything as it is, “Inis Mór resident Maggie Seoighe explained at the demonstration outside Galway County Hall. “For example, I wanted to order 1,000 litres of home heating fuel last week, and I was quoted €1,020. The same fill would cost me between €820 and €845 if I was living on the mainland,”she said.
“You look at Eyre Square in Galway, which cost €15 million, Galway residents are not paid €1 every time they walk through, to subsidise its running costs, but we are being asked to do this to subsidise the new harbour,” she said.
Last week, Aran Ferries, the island’s sole passenger ferry operator, won a High Court challenge that effectively rules out introducing an additional levy on the use of Ros-a-Mhíl harbour.
However, a levy has been approved by Galway county councillors for maintenance at Cill Rónain. It was approved by 16 votes to 12 at last night’s meeting.
The proposed new charge of €2 per return trip for tourists and €1.60 per return trip for islanders has been reduced to an annual multi-trip charge of €5 for islanders and 80c for visitors.
Proposed additional freight charges were dropped as part of an amended motion tabled by Mayor of Co Galway Cllr Michael “Moggie” Maher (FG).
Islanders who stayed for vote missed the scheduled evening ferry back to Inis Mór. They have pledged their opposition to the charge on a point of principle, and Aran Ferries intends to review the legal options.