Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

As the Deputy may be aware, I have agreed that once-off emergency funding would be made available by my Department to Cork County Council to support the provision of a temporary ferry service for Dursey Island while the county council repairs the existing cable car infrastructure, which is owned and operated by the local authority.

It is important to note that council is responsible for all aspects of the temporary ferry service to Dursey Island, including its procurement, operation, timetabling and the frequency of the sailings.

My Department stepped in to provide once-off emergency funding for a temporary service to ensure that Dursey Island residents and the local farming community would continue to have reliable mainland connectivity while Cork County Council repairs the existing cable car infrastructure. I engaged extensively with Deputy O'Sullivan on this and thank him for raising the matter with me initially.

I understand that the local authority has now procured and signed contracts for an initial temporary service for a period of nine weeks, which commenced on Monday, 23 May. This service will operate for one hour each side of high tide for three days a week, currently Friday, Saturday and Monday, for people who are full-time residents and farmers on the island. Cork County Council has indicated that it will run another tender competition for a medium-term service that will provide a ferry service until the end of the year. I understand that competition will take two months to complete.

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