I will be speaking in Irish and I would like to pause for a minute to give an opportunity to anybody who does not feel comfortable with the Irish language to put on their earphones.

Maidin inniu, fágadh an t-oileán is mó daonra ar fhad an chósta gan aon sheirbhís farantóireachta. Tharla sé seo de bharr pholasaí faillíoch an Rialtais deiridh a d'fhág an t-oileán seo gan aon chonradh buan ó thaobh sheirbhísí báid. Ar ndóigh, bhí an bhagairt ann anuraidh, agus tá se tarlaithe inniu nach bhfuil seirbhís ag na hoileánaigh. Níl fágtha acu ach an tseirbhís aeir agus bhí caint ag an Rialtas deiridh deireadh a chur leis sin freisin.

Tá laincisí ag baint leis an tseirbhís aeir. Ní thógann an t-eitleán ach ocht bpaisinéir ag an am. Mar gheall ar an am den bhliain atá i gceist, ní féidir leis eitilt ach ar 8.30 a.m. agus ar 4 p.m. Mar shampla, nuair a bhíonn an bád farantóireachta ann, seolann an seoladh deiridh ar 7 p.m. le ligean do mhic léinn agus do dhaoine atá ag obair dul abhaile agus dul ar ais go dtí an t-oileán. Tá ollchostas i gceist leis an eitleán a úsáid. Do bheirt tuismitheoir agus ceathrar gasúr, cosnaíonn sé €161 d'oileánaigh dul isteach go dtí an mórthír agus amach arís. An fhadhb dheireanach, agus tuigfeadh chuile duine é inniu, ná nach féidir leis an eitleán seoladh le ceo ann agus mar atá inniu i go leor áiteanna sa tír.

Céard atá i gceist ag an Rialtas a dhéanamh, mar éigeandáil, le déanamh cinnte go mbeidh seirbhís farantóireachta ag na hoileánaigh? Cén réiteach atá déanta ag an Rialtas le seirbhísí eile a chur ar fáil? Mar shampla, an bhfuil aon shocrú déanta nó an raibh teagmháil leis an gcomhlacht le déanamh cinnte go bhféadfadh sé siúd dul chun fóirithinte ar na hoileánaigh in am an ghátair? An bhfuil i gceist socrú a dhéanamh le hAer Arann, fad is atá an fhadhb seo ann, go mbeidh na táillí €10 fillte do dhaoine fásta agus €5 do dhaoine óga - móide taisteal in aisce - ar fáil ag na hoileánaigh ar sheirbhísí Aer Arann go dtí go bhfaighfear bád malartach? Tá súil agam go mbeadh sé sin ar fáil amárach, b'fhéidir, nó an lá dar gcionn.

I thank the Deputy. Island Ferries took the decision to cease services to Inis Mór last night, as the Deputy has outlined. I have to agree with him that this is extremely disappointing. I understand there will be a full meeting of Galway County County at 12 noon today, where this will be the subject of discussion.

This is primarily a dispute between the company and Galway County Council, which centres on council by-laws. The Minister of State with responsibility for the Gaeltacht and the islands, Deputy Kyne, has been in contact with councillors and with Kevin Kelly, the chief executive officer, CEO, of the council, Joe Hamill, Secretary General of the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, senior Department officials in Galway, with representatives of the Aran Island Co-Op and with Island Ferries to discuss the very points the Deputy has made.

The tenders for the air service are being evaluated by the Office of Government Procurement and the Attorney General's office and that decision is due in a few weeks. The Minister of State has appealed to Island Ferries, the owner and the solicitor dealing with the issue to continue the service. He has also discussed with them the critical issue of the continuity of service. They have said it is not a matter for the Department but primarily a matter for the county council but he will pursue it. The Minister of State is deeply concerned about the impact of the stoppage of the ferry service.

The operators informed him today that the continuation of the service will depend on today’s county council budgetary meeting where the CEO will update members on the discussions with the operators of Island Ferries. The Minister of State is making himself available at all times and is involved in a detailed way to ensure the best possible outcome and is taking every action he can to find a resolution. I agree with the Deputy that it is urgent. He will assist the county council in whatever way his Department can in order to deal with this impasse.

In respect of the Naval Service, the Minister of State has had discussions with the Minister of State with responsibility for defence, Deputy Kehoe, and the Secretary General of his Department has had discussions with his counterpart in the Department of Defence. He is hopeful that a resolution can be found today at the council meeting that will allow the operator resume the essential service.

Hoping is not doing. The genesis of the problem is that the county council and the Department took a view that the islanders should pay 80 cent to land on the pier on their own island. That is equivalent to asking someone entitled to free travel to pay 80 cent to use the platform in Pearse Station. Does the Tánaiste think that is fair? That was Government policy.

Island Ferries is a private operator that has decided to pull out. When was the Naval Service first contacted about providing an alternative service? It has been known for well over a month that there was a threat to the service. Two extensions of time were given. In fact, it has been known since last year. Are there no alternative possible providers of a service to the Aran Islands? Are there no other boat owners who can be contacted? How many other operators have been contacted in the past two, three or four weeks, and when, about dealing with a contingency that has now arisen and ensuring there will be continuity of service? The Tánaiste did not answer any specific questions. Will she finally answer the question: is the Government willing to arrange, while it talks about this, that the islanders can travel in and out on the air service at €10 return for adults, €5 for young people and zero for those entitled to free travel, a right enjoyed by every other citizen in this State?

I did respond to the Deputy's points. It is not a question of hoping but of doing. I have made very clear that the Minister of State has been heavily involved in whatever way he can be to ensure that a resolution is found. The most important people are not the operators, the council or the Department but the islanders who need a service.

Our focus today should be on ensuring that we get a resolution. The particular points the Deputy makes about the various services will all come to the fore depending on the outcome today. I would urge that this issue should be uppermost in the mind of the councillors at today's meeting, and I am sure it will be. They must give due consideration to the proposals put forward or the results of the discussions that have been put forward by Mr. Kevin Kelly, the county CEO. It is urgent that they enter into further discussions today with Island Ferries, with the Minister of State and with Department officials, who will do everything to try to ensure continuity of service. Continuity of service will be to the fore in the context of the work that the Minister of State is doing. One never knows when an emergency could occur-----

They knew about this one.

-----and, of course, there should be continuity of services.