Eamon Scanlon (Sligo-Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
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464. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the status of landing licences on Inishmurray Island; if the decision to ban boats from landing on the island will be reversed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29164/18]

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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The Marine Survey Office within my Department is the safety regulator for maritime transport in Ireland. One of their key responsibilities is to ensure the safety of all passengers travelling by boat.

An assessment of the landing facilities at Inishmurray Island in 2008 deemed the recognised landing on the island to be wholly unsuitable for landing passengers.

Therefore no passenger licences which include Inishmurray on their plying limits have been/or may be issued until such time as the appropriate landing facility has been provided. However, passenger boats which have the appropriate licences may approach the island, so that passengers may see the island and take photographs.

As I have stated before, the solution here is simple - the provision of an appropriately safe landing facility. Once an appropriate landing facility is provided, officials of the Marine Survey office will assess it and any passenger vessel proposing to use the facility with a view to granting the appropriate licence.