Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Can the Minister of State set out the annual subsidy paid to Aran Island Ferries up to 2012 for the year-round service to the island? This is the whole issue. The subsidy tied it down.

Was any estimate made in the Department of the extra cost that would have arisen if Inis Mór had been bundled with Inis Meáin and Inis Oirr, like what happens with bus services and so on? In other words, could the company have been prevented from getting Inis Meáin and Inis Oirr unless it gave a commitment to Inis Mór? That was the original arrangement in place when there was no competition. There was no obvious competition last time either. My understanding is that in 2012 the cost per year was €40,000. However, a greater number of passengers were travelling and that is why it was so cheap. Perhaps the Minister of State can confirm whether this was the case, but I believe it would not have represented a substantial cost if one tender had been put out to provide services to the three islands, Inis Meáin, Inis Mór and Inis Oirr. The service could have required one boat for Inis Meáin and Inis Oirr and another for Inis Mór. In that way, there is no evidence that it would have been significantly more expensive than the tender received by the Department for Inis Meáin and Inis Oirr by itself. Will the Minister of State confirm that?