Ferry owners satisfied as plan for ‘penal charges’ scrapped

It’s plain sailing again for Dingle ferry owners who feared they would be put out of business by proposed harbour charges.

The operators of the passenger boats, which take tourists to see Fungi, Dingle’s internationally-known dolphin, have welcomed a decision by the Marine Department not to introduce what were claimed to be penal charges.

The operators maintained the initial proposals would have resulted in a trebling of annual charges per vessel from €2,500-€3,000 to €8,500-€9,000. But the charges will be a maximum €2,500 per vessel, it has been confirmed.