Joanna Tuffy (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
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Question 400: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs when the current contract to operate the Cape Clear ferry in County Cork expires; if the new contract will be put out to public tender; if any expressions of interest have been made known to his Department to date; if there has been any discussion between himself and the current ferry operator regarding the renewal of the contract; if he envisages that the current operator will seek to renew the contract; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6634/10]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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On 4 February 2010, I announced that I had approved the release of the company Tithe Saoire Chléire Teo from its contract with my Department to provide subsidised passenger and cargo ferry services to Cléire with effect from 28 February 2010. The decision to terminate the contract was taken on foot of an application made by the company itself and had regard to my Department's assessment of the feasibility of seeking to enforce the continuation of the contract or, alternatively, of making other arrangements for the provision of the ferry service.

In this regard, I also announced on the same day that an interim arrangement has been made by my Department with the consortium Naomh Ciarán II Oileán Chléire Teo/Thar Tonn Teo to provide a ferry service for Cléire for a nine month period from 1 March to 30 November 2010 at a total cost of €209,322. Naomh Ciarán 11 Oileán Chléire Teo had provided a subsidised ferry service for the island prior to the existing contract coming into effect on 1st March 2007 and was the only other company to compete for it at the time. It is my Department's intention to seek public tenders during the interim period in order to put a long-term ferry contract in place for the island from 1 December 2010.

It is my view that the interim service, together with a grant of €35,000 approved by me in 2009 to enable the Sherkin Island Development Society to establish a new heavy cargo service for Cléire, Sherkin, Heir and Long Islands, will ensure that the Cléire community enjoys ferry services on a par with those provided to other islands off our coast. I understand that the heavy cargo service commenced late last month.