Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North, Fine Gael)

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for allowing me to raise this matter on the Adjournment this evening. The Jeanie Johnston project was initiated in 1995 with the aim of providing a replica of the Jeanie Johnston sailing ship which transported emigrants to the USA during the Famine. It was first intended as a Famine commemoration project and the plan was to sail the replica vessel to the USA in 1998 to mark it. However, construction of the vessel turned out to be more complex and expensive than originally planned. The completion date was put back to 2000, with the intention of making it a millennium project. However, that deadline became impossible because of financial and technical difficulties. In May 2002, the project was taken over by a company comprising representatives of Kerry Group, Shannon Development, Tralee Town Council and Kerry County Council under the chairmanship of Denis Buckley of Kerry Group and the project's chief executive officer, Denis Reen.

The board of directors completed the original objective of the Jeanie Johnston project by undertaking a very successful transatlantic voyage in 2003. In the course of the American voyage, the replica Famine ship was enthusiastically received in 14 US and seven Canadian ports, attracting more than 100,000 visitors on board the ship. It generated extensive media coverage and public awareness, reaching far beyond the Irish diaspora in the US and projecting a very positive image of Ireland today. In the course of its American voyage, the Jeanie Johnston demonstrated its potential for sail training. Under the international fund for Ireland Wider Horizons programme, 93 young people from both sides of the Border and from Unionist and Nationalist communities in Northern Ireland completed a sail training programme on board the Jeanie Johnston.

At a meeting of the Jeanie Johnston board last Friday, a summer programme for the replica ship was agreed which will include a return voyage to North America. However, in a statement released after the meeting, the board announced that, in the absence of Government interest in acquiring the ship, it would have no alternative but actively to pursue a sale option for the tall ship. I agree with the board in its conviction that, under Government ownership, the Jeanie Johnston can have a successful future as a high-profile ambassadorial ship for the promotion of Irish tourism, sail training and cross-Border initiatives, maintaining the project's important North-South dimension.

The ideal home for the Jeanie Johnston is with Coiste an Asgard, which operates the sail training vessel Asgard II. An Coiste receives an annual lottery grant for its operation. That amounted to €693,000 for 2004. The grant could easily be increased, with funding from the national lottery, to include the running costs of the Jeanie Johnston in the event of An Coiste taking over ownership and management of the vessel. I understand that the Asgard II is overbooked, especially during the summer months. It makes an average of 24 sailing trips each year, with 20 trainees on each trip. As I said, during the summer months in particular, it cannot meet the demand. The Jeanie Johnston can take up to 40 trainees and has the capacity to sail to any part of the world, something I understand the Asgard II is unable to do. Some years ago it had to be taken to Australia in a container ship.

The board is convinced, and I agree, that under Government ownership the Jeanie Johnston can have a very successful future. I understand that next Tuesday the Minister will meet the board. I strongly appeal to him to direct Coiste an Asgard to take over ownership of this very fine sailing vessel. Otherwise, the board will have no option but to sell it off to some private investor. It would be a major loss to this country and a major embarrassment if the board had to do so. I appeal to the Minister of State to ensure that the Minister is aware of the case that I make this evening and acts accordingly next Tuesday.

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