559 Mr. Dukes asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage Gaeltacht and the Islands the reason her Department has continued to contract with a company (details supplied) which has not complied with all terms of the contract; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8460/02]

My Department has been informed by the company to which the Deputy refers that the vessel concerned is fitted with a roll-on/roll-off side loading ramp.

560 Mr. Dukes asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage Gaeltacht and the Islands the number of tenders received by her Department in 1992 to provide a ferry service from Galway to the Aran Islands; the name of the consultants who advised on the awarding of the contract; the reason the contract was not resubmitted for public tender in 1994 (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8461/02]

In 1992, a contract was agreed between the Minister for Tourism, Transport, and Communications and a shipping company to provide a passenger and cargo ferry service between Galway and the Aran Islands for the five year period from 1 September 1992 to 31 August 1997. A total of ten tenders was received for the provision of this service. The consultants, Ashford Marine Limited were employed to generate interest in the tender as well as to advise the Department in the evaluation of tenders for the service.

The initial annual cost to the Exchequer of this contract was €603,000, £475,000. However, this was later increased to €698,000, £550,000, with effect from 19 April 1994 in order to take account of inflation, extra operational costs and the cost of essential equipment required for the service. A once-off capital payment of €127,000, £100,000, was also made to the company in 1994 as a contribution towards the cost of additional operational equipment required for the service, extra sailings provided under the contract, the disruption caused by pier improvement works on the islands and extra initial requirements on the vessel used to provide the service.