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"The kitty is empty"
22.09.09
Foyle ferry to cease
operations in eight days
by Linda McGrory
THE Foyle ferry service from Greencastle to
Magilligan is to cease operations on October 1,
sources close to the company have claimed.
Despite reports the Lough Foyle Ferry Company Ltd.,
has been thrown a £100,000 lifeline from Limavady
Borough Council to continue operating, it's now
understood that this money won't be available until
next April. Sources last night claimed "the kitty is
empty" and the operators cannot afford to keep the
car ferry running without subsidy.
The company operates the 10-minute crossing under
contract to Donegal County Council and Limavady
Borough Council. While the existing contract
officially expired on June 14, this year, the
company was granted an extension to operate until
September 30. But that deadline is now fast
approaching and so far no new contract has been
agreed. Donegal County Council and Limavady Borough
Council are due to meet to discuss the issue
tomorrow. |
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"It is with
considerable regret that the service will have to be
withdrawn as another contract extension doesn’t
appear to be forthcoming. We are extremely grateful
for the support of our customers to date and look
forward to resuming operations some time in the
future," the company said in a statement yesterday.
The ferry service has been operating for seven years
and to date has transported just under 2 million
passengers. It is understood the company would like
the £100,000 and match-funding from Donegal County
Council, to be fast-tracked for immediate
allocation. The service has become an important part
of the North West visitor trail and an integral part
of the Atlantic Drift tourism initiative set up in
2005 to link the tourism offerings of counties
Donegal, Derry and the North Antrim coast.
Meanwhile, the SDLP party have called on the
Northern Ireland Assembly and the Government in
Dublin to "stop behaving in partitionist fashion"
and jointly fund the local ferry. They say the
service is too important to be funded on an insecure
contract-to-contract basis.
SDLP East Derry SDLP MLA John Dallat and Limavady
councillors Michael Carten, Michael Coyle and Gerry
Mullan recently collected hundreds of signatures
from people in Greencastle and passengers on board
the ferry in a bid to save the long-running service.
“The neglect of the North West is a disgrace and an
affront. The ferry service is critical to the
development of tourism on both sides of the border
and the ducking and diving has to stop," said the
SDLP representatives.
“This is a project which should not be left to the
ratepayers of Limavady and Donegal. It is a national
responsibility and is no different from the ferry
services at Strangford or Rathlin Island. The excuse
that it crosses into another jurisdiction is hog
wash.
“If the Department of Regional Development is to
have any meaning whatsoever then the Regional
Development Minister must take this issue aboard and
deal with it on behalf of the North West region,"
they added. |
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