Dr. Cecil Beamish:

The Deputy has to understand this in the context in which it was happening. The position is that some 170,000 people travel out to the islands from Rossaveal ferryport. The difficulty in the past was that all of the ferries tied up at the same time and people climbed all over them. This led to falls, trips, slips and claims. The Department and the Minister of the day decided to invest in constructing a purpose-built ferry terminal in Rossaveal. A harbour had to be dredged out of rock in order to facilitate this. Since the facility was completed, the ferries now float up and down with the tide at their moorings and people can walk straight on and off on a level surface. This entire project cost €15 million.