Michael Collins (Cork South West, Independent)
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I thank the Ceann Comhairle for allowing us to speak about this very important issue. There was a shocking announcement at council level two weeks ago that the Dursey Island cable car service would be suspended for repairs from April to November this year. This affects residents on the island, farmers on the mainland that have cattle on the island and tourism. It affects the whole of Allihies, Eyeries, Ardgroom, Castletownbere and many parts of west Cork which depend on tourism.

Councillor Danny Collins put forward a motion at council last week which was fully agreed, namely to request the Minister for Rural and Community Affairs, Deputy Heather Humphreys, to come before the council to talk about a temporary solution that locals feel is not the greatest in the world, that is, a ferry service. In the past two weeks nothing that I know of has happened. At a council meeting yesterday there was no contact from the Minister. I would appreciate if the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donovan, could tell us if the Minister will meet council officials, local public representative and locals to find a solution for Dursey Island.

Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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I cannot understand why the cable car has to be closed for so long because in 1967 it was built in one month for £14,000. It will take eight months to repair it. We have cranes and helicopters in today's world, which were not available in 1967. Why will it take so long? On average, 200 tourists use the cable car every day. There are 50 cows and 600 sheep on the best of land. There are 1,432 acres of land there. There is a spill off on the Kerry side to Lauragh, Kilmackillogue, Helen's Bar and Bed and Breakfast, Kenmare and south Kerry. It will be a massive loss. It was a fierce attraction for the entire area at the mouth of Kenmare Harbour.

Christopher O'Sullivan (Cork South West, Fianna Fail)
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Dursey cable car is more than just a form of transport. Fáilte Ireland uses it in all of its promotional material to sell Ireland across Europe. It is also, more importantly, a lifeline for the eight farmers who keep livestock on Dursey Island. Lambing and calving season is upon us. These farmers need to get across to their livestock. It is an animal welfare issue. Cork County Council has taken the decision to close the cable car on 31 March until November. That is almost 9 months.

Deputy Healy-Rae is absolutely right. When the cable car was built in the 1960s, pickaxes and shovels were used to erect the towers. I cannot understand why the work will take so long. I would love for the Department to work with Cork County Council to examine two things: one, whether there is any chance measures can be put in place to strengthen the towers for the next couple of months so that farmers can access the island during calving and lambing season; and two, which is absolutely vital, that funding would be provided for a ferry service when the cable car inevitably closes.

Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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I am taking this matter on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Heather Humphreys. I am aware of the concerns expressed by the residents of Dursey, the farming community which has animals on the island and those that promote tourism in the region regarding the recent decision by Cork County Council to withdraw the existing cable car service to Dursey Island in order to carry out maintenance works.

It is important to note that the provision, management and upkeep of the cable car is a matter for Cork County Council. It owns and operates the existing cable car service and is responsible for ensuring mainland connectivity for the island, residents and those who require access to farmland during the period of maintenance. I understand the recent decision to withdraw the cable car service was taken without any prior consultation with the island residents, island representative groups or the Department of Rural and Community Development. This is not how a local authority should carry out its business.

If this service was going to be withdrawn due to essential maintenance, there should have been consultation with the local community and, equally important, engagement with the Department. When maintaining any infrastructure such as roads, bridges or, in this case, a cable car, the local authority is responsible for providing alternative routes to minimise any access disruptions. It is the responsibility of Cork County Council to provide the residents of Dursey Island and all others dependent on the service with an alternative temporary service from the island to the mainland while these maintenance works are being carried out.

The Minister is disappointed that Cork County Council did not see fit to engage with, or provide any prior notification to, her Department about its intention to announce the closure of the cable car. It would have been preferable to have that engagement, and a solution and alternative arrangement in place, before Cork County Council announced that the cable car was to close. It is a pity that did not occur to anybody in Cork County Council, and I am sure the three Deputies will concur with that based on what they said.

9 o’clock

I assure the Deputies that the Minister, Deputy Humphreys, is keen to try to find a solution. The Minister understands the urgency of the situation. His officials are engaged and will continue to engage with Cork County Council and the island representatives to seek a resolution to the issue. I spoke to the Minister before I came into the Chamber. She is prepared to make herself available to see how a solution can be accommodated for this issue. She understands the urgency and sensitivity around this and, as Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan said, how iconic the Dursey Island cable car is. I was previously Minister of State with responsibility for tourism and I know that Fáilte Ireland and Tourism Ireland use the Dursey cable car on many iconic images. The manner in which this has taken place is regrettable. Hopefully, with the correct form of engagement with the Department and the local representatives on Cork County Council, a way forward can be found.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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I thank the Minister of State and the Minister, Deputy Humphreys, for a forthright response.

Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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Unusual.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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No, no. It is very welcome.

Marc MacSharry (Sligo-Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
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Hear, hear. Very unusual.

Michael Collins (Cork South West, Independent)
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I thank the Minister of State for a detailed response. He is right that there was no consultation, even with the council. This decision must have been made well in advance of the announcement two weeks ago, considering where we are. We need to find a solution. Would the Minister of State believe that since last Friday, islanders have been left without electricity? No one is speaking on behalf of the islands here anymore. I respect that the Minister of State is here. He has often come to west Cork. The Minister for Rural and Community Development should be here today to talk to us and give us her point of view on what she intends to do. Residents have been let down badly. Yesterday, officials told them to get boats themselves and to find their own way over with their cattle. That is an astonishing situation. I plead with the Minister of State to plead with the Minister, Deputy Humphreys, to come to west Cork to meet the council and the residents. They are honest residents who have not caused any problems or even held a public meeting, because they expect that the political system will resolve this issue. It is not happening at this moment. They need a ferry service. A temporary service is not the greatest solution, which they accept, but it would at least be some sort of solution. I would appreciate if the Minister of State would tell us if the Minister will come to meet officials and public representatives.

Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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I thank the Minister of State and the Minister, Deputy Humphreys, for a positive response and outlining how they feel about it. We are asking for a ferry and that the structure be repaired sooner. The waters are treacherous, especially when the tide comes in. If ordinary people use boats, lives could be lost. When the tide comes in, it swings to the left, and when it is going out, it swings to the right. It is a serious matter. We are close to the people of Dursey Island. It is part of history and it is part of the tourism product that we are selling. There are three holiday homes and three guesthouses. Will we close them all? Farmers cannot get in and out. They need to go in and out daily. I thank the Ceann Comhairle for allowing me to speak.

Christopher O'Sullivan (Cork South West, Fianna Fail)
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Cork County Council should have acted faster on this. It knew that the towers were deteriorating and that corrosion was happening. It should have acted before this. The Minister of State probably knows west Cork as well as anyone in this Chamber. He frequents it often. He knows that Dursey Island is about as far from Dublin as one can get in Ireland. It is on the western periphery of Europe. However, for the people of the Beara Peninsula and the farmers who farm on Dursey Ireland, it is the centre of the universe. They feel forgotten about. They have been without electricity for the last five, six or seven days, and they feel forgotten about. We need to act. I ask the Minister of State to ask the Minister, Deputy Humphreys, to meet me personally so that we can try to find a solution for access to Dursey Ireland for the residents, the farmers, and even for tourists.

Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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In the Minister's original response, it is clear that whether by cable car or by boat, Cork County Council has a responsibility to provide access to the island. It is not acceptable to just cut it. Cutting it without consultation is not acceptable. It is the statutory authority that is obliged under the law, which we passed in this House, to provide access to that island for those islanders and farmers. We as legislators are required to ensure that the local authority carries out those statutory responsibilities. We expect that from local authorities. To do that without consultation is not good enough, which the Minister has clearly stated in her response. She also states in her response that her officials are available. She is also available to make sure that a solution can be found. She is not here this evening because she had a prior family engagement. I made myself available to take part in this debate.

I know that part of west Cork. Deputy O'Sullivan is right that I am no stranger to west Cork. If I represented that part of the country, whether south Kerry or west Cork, I would not find it acceptable to just cut a road or access to an island. It is not good enough. Those people, whether they are residents or farmers, deserve the same level of access, consultation and co-operation from their local authority, whether by a cable car, road or boat. They deserve a level of respect from their local authority. They pay road tax, rates and tax. They should have got a level of co-operation from their local authority and the fact that they did not is not good enough, which is what the Minister, Deputy Humphreys, is saying. It is the job of Cork County Council and it needs to do it. The Minister's officials will make sure that happens. They have to make sure that provision is made to get people safely to Dursey Island.

Separately, there is a planning process that runs in parallel to make sure that a cable car can function into the future. Separately to that, there is a group of people who have objections to that planning process. They follow us around in the Office of Public Works. We have to respect the planning process. I will take all of the comments that the three Deputies have made with respect to access to Dursey Island to the Minister, Deputy Humphreys, and I am sure she will reply to them collectively.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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It seems to me that the chief executive of Cork County Council should be answering and accountable in this case, first and foremost, as distinct from any Minister.

Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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That is in the Minister's response to this as well.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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I thank the Deputies for bringing the matter to the attention of the House and the Minister of State for dealing with it.

Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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I thank the Ceann Comhairle and the Minister of State.