Jerry Cowley (Mayo, Independent)
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Question 306: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs his views on whether the commencement of the Innisbiggle cable car will be an addition to the tourist attraction in view of the recent allocation of funds to Ballycroy National Park; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36843/05]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy will be aware, in July 2000, on foot of a report carried out by P.J. Tobin and Co. Limited for my Department, I approved a grant of €1.84 million to Mayo County Council for the provision of a cable car and associated services between Inis Bigil and Acaill at Béal an Bhulláin. This grant was based on a total estimated construction cost of €2.03 million with Mayo County Council to provide the balance of €190,000. While it was hoped that the cable car would be fully operational by spring 2003, there was a delay because of an objection lodged with An Bord Pleanála against one of the compulsory purchase orders in respect of land required for the project. While An Bord Pleanála subsequently confirmed the CPO, this decision became the subject of an application for a High Court judicial review. As a result of a settlement between Mayo County Council and the landowner, this application was withdrawn and subsequently Mayo County Council sought my Department's approval to proceed with the acquisition of land and the appointment of consultants to prepare contract documents for the project.

In view of the time that had elapsed since this project was originally approved for funding, I decided late last year that it would be appropriate, in line with current guidelines and best practice for securing value for money for the Exchequer in respect of capital expenditure, to carry out a review of the 1999 report of the consultant engineers on the project. Consultants Malachy Walsh and Partners, in conjunction with McClure Watters, were appointed by my Department to carry out this review. In their final report, the consultants concluded, inter alia, that the recent development of new piers on Inis Bigil and at Doran's Point over the past number of years had satisfied a key departmental objective to provide safe access to Inis Bigil and that if the cablecar project was to be progressed, it should only be done so within the context of an integrated tourism development plan for the Acaill-Ballycroy area, with the aim of maximising the tourism benefits of the project and other local tourist attractions, of which Ballycroy National Park is one.

In the light of the latter conclusion and in view of the impending expiry of the time allowed for the issue of notices to treat in respect of the compulsory purchase orders on the land required for the project, Mayo County Council was authorised by me earlier this year to purchase the said land so that all realistic options for providing the cable car service could be usefully explored.

In addition, my Department has engaged in discussions with both Ireland West Tourism and Mayo County Council with a view to ascertaining the tourism potential of the project and has consulted with the National Development Finance Agency and examined the feasibility of obtaining both public and private partners to build and operate the facility.

The issue of whether to proceed with the preparation of contract documents for the project is now being examined by my officials in the light of this consultation process.