County councillors discuss proposals brought forward by Inis Mór ferry operator in bid to safeguard winter service

Galway Bay fm newsroom – County Councillors have this evening been presented with a fresh round of proposals aimed at solving a long-running deadlock over the ferry service to Inis Mór.
The service is currently operating on a temporary basis until January 4th, at which time the ferry will be once again suspended if no compromise is reached.
The plug was pulled on the ferry service to Inis Mór at the end of last month amid a long running row over passenger levies.
Island Ferries Teo has always argued that levies imposed by the County Council in 2012, which charge a fee of 80c per passenger, make the operation of the service ecnomically unviable.
However, the service was temporarily reinstated earlier this month following talks between the company, the county council and the Department of the Gaeltacht.
In a fresh set of proposals presented to County Councillors this evening, Island Ferries Teo argues that a reduction of the passenger levy to 40c for retrospective trips between 2012 and 2016, and 55c for ferry sailings from 2017 onwards, is critical in reaching a resolution.
It says such a reduction would allow it to pay retrospective passenger levies of almost 300 thousand euro to the local authority – as well as pay off legal fees of some half a million euro incurred during High Court action over the controversial levy at the centre of the impasse.
In the proposal document, the company says they have never collected levy rates from their passengers, but will instead absorb such costs – as to do otherwise would jeopardise competitiveness and effect the growth of tourism to Inis Mor.
Island Ferries Teo says that if their proposals are accepted, it would envision repaying it’s legacy debts and legal fees by the end of 2017.