€8.5m Great Blasket plan treading water
Fresh rows are erupting over ferry services and other proposed commercial facilities on the island off Co Kerry.
Objections are emerging to the current arrangement where Peter Callery, whose company Blascaoid Mor Teoranta owns 17 of the 25 holdings on the island, has an exclusive deal with the Government to provide the only ferry service operating out of Dingle.
Dingle Bay ferryman Tom Hand, who tried to gain access to the Blasket earlier this year but was refused access by security men acting for Blascaoid Mor Teoranta, claims an unfair monopoly was being created.
The Government has committed itself to purchasing and conserving the island but full agreement on its future management has yet to be finalised.
However, Mr Callery, a Dingle solicitor, said: “The ferry situation is part of the arrangement with the Government that the status quo would remain. We’ve been landing people from Dingle on the island for the past four years and that’s part of our deal.”
Other operators run separate ferry services from Dunquin to the island.
Plans by the Government to buy the island and designate it as a national historic park have been dogged by controversy, including a legal wrangle over the past 20 years that went as far as the Supreme Court.
Another contentious issue concerns rights to provide commercial facilities to service the estimated 400 visitors daily to the island once a management plan comes into effect.
At present, the only commercial premises on the Blasket is a small café owned by Blascaoid Mor Teoranta. The company has just been refused planning permission by An Bord Pleanála for a new, larger, café that would have provided toilet facilities for the public, a study room and a ranger’s room.
At least one person is opposed to the idea of one company having exclusive commercial rights on the island.
Sean Ó Duinnshleibhe, a member of an old island family, has indicated he would like commercial rights as well. He is anxious to maintain his family link with the island.
The Government has denied claims that Mr Ó Duinnshleibhe’s opposition to the current situation was delaying its proposed takeover of the island, but the O Duinnshleibhes are the only family not to have signed up to the Government plan.
Mr Callery told the Irish Examiner that an overwhelming majority of island landowners, fully supported the Government plan.
It is believed the likely cost of buying out the land holdings is €1.7m.
Meanwhile, the Office of Public Works said it was “very happy” with progress and was continuing negotiations with landowners. However, a spokesperson said it was unlikely negotiations would be completed before the year end, as had been anticipated.
The island controversy will feature tonight on a Leargas documentary on RTÉ 1.
