Diarmuid Wilson (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I join with my colleague, Senator Brian Ó Domhnaill, and his comments on the dispute that has arisen about the Tory Island ferry. A company called Turasmara has operated the ferry for more than 30 years. The company is owned by a former Fine Gael councillor, Pádraig Doherty, and I note that he had a dispute with the Fine Gael party. I hope that the current dispute is not payback time for him.

I know the Gweedore-Magheroarty area very well and it is one of the most beautiful parts of this country. I have used the excellent ferry service every year for the past 23 years. Tory Island is one of the last inhabited islands off the coast of Ireland and the ferry is the only way that the inhabitants of the island can get their much needed supplies. The ferry also provides an opportunity for locals to earn an income from tourism during the summer months. Thousands of tourists visit the island on an annual basis and they use the ferry. Turasmara has provided a new vessel for the trip and it is very safe. It may not be commonly known but the seas that surround Tory Island are among the roughest in the world.