Liz McManus (Wicklow, Labour)
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Question 127: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the position regarding the termination of the tender process for the cargo ferry service between Ros an Mhíl and the Aran Islands for the period January 2007 to December 2011; the circumstances that led to the termination of the tender process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30702/05]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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In November 2004, expressions of interest were sought by my Department from operators interested in providing a cargo ferry service between Ros an Mhíl and the Aran Islands for the period from 1 January 2007 to 31 December 2011. Subsequently in March of this year, following a pre-qualification process, tender documents for this service were issued to a number of operators with a deadline of 1 July 2005 for receipt of tenders.

Following consideration of the external evaluation of the tenders received, the inter-agency steering committee, established to oversee the award of this and certain other Aran Islands transport service contracts, recommended that this particular tender competition should be terminated. In making this recommendation, regard was had to a number of issues which had arisen since tenders had been sought last March, including rapidly altering circumstances in relation to infrastructure developments at Ros á Mhíl, and the decision taken in August 2005 to reduce the cargo tariffs to be charged to islanders in the operation of the service by 50%, thus rendering the pricing structure as sought in the original tender out of date.

The position with regard to the provision of a cargo service to the Aran Islands for the period from 1 January 2007 to 31 December 2011 is being kept under review pending the outcome of discussions with the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources in relation to progress of the development of Ros an Mhíl harbour. My Department also proposes to initiate shortly a study on the feasibility of providing a roll on-roll off ferry service to these islands, the findings of which will also be material to the process. In the meantime, as the Deputy will be aware, the provision of freight services to the Aran Islands is being maintained with assistance from my Department