Gerry Horkan (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The subsidy or grant option for those in need of it most is a great idea. Ideally, it is all the better where it can be commercially viable without the need for subsidies. The message that needs to go from this committee to all our friends and to all the people who value the service is very much a case of use it or lose it. They need to give people the business. We had a ferry service in Dún Laoghaire, and marine is in the portfolio of the Minister of State's other Department. There were 1.5 million people going through Dún Laoghaire ferry port in 1998 and there were 150,000 people going through it 15 years later, so the service closed. If a service is not used, it will close. If people want the service to be maintained, they should use it more often and encourage friends and family to use it as well. That is how we will have a thriving network.

I thank the Minister of State and her departmental officials for all their work.