Paul Coghlan (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I would like to briefly refer to the Valentia Island ferry. This is something which has been there for the last 21 years. Five families are involved in it. As we know it links the Victorian capital of Knightstown with the mainland. It is a five minute crossing. It is very important for tourism in the south west and, indeed, the local economy. In 2016 the ferry handled 250,000 passengers and 100,000 cars. The traffic handled by the 15-car capacity ferry has now reached a stage where more capacity is needed. The demand is huge. This is an old vessel. It is nearly 50 years old. It needs a modern, efficient replacement which will be able to take coaches.

Some research has been done on this issue. The new vessel would cost €2.83 million. It was thought it could be financed by a Fáilte Ireland grant but, unfortunately, EU state aid rules would not deem assistance to this ferry allowable. I know the Minister, Deputy Ross, met with the directors some time back. In view of its importance, the directors are prepared to raise €1 million locally to surpass this roadblock. In the overall scheme of things the balance is not huge. As it is such an important proposal for tourism and the south west, I urge the Government and the Minister to bridge the gap, so to speak.