Plea for relief on cost of ferries to the islands

THE need to eliminate or alleviate the extra cost of carriage of goods and animals to and from the islands was raised in the Dáil by Fine Gael TD Jim O’Keeffe.

He was informed by Minister Éamon Ó Cuív that there is a commitment in An Agreed Programme for Government to identify proposals to provide a subsidised cargo service to islands “With this in mind, I have asked my officials to prepare terms of reference for a study to be carried out on the issue of cargo ferry services serving the inhabited islands.”

Minister Ó Cuív said he envisages that the study will be undertaken early in 2003.