An EU grant of more than £230,000 has been awarded to a special cross border partnership to establish how best to design and build a fleet of small ferries to serve remote communities off the Scottish and Irish coastlines.
Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd (CMAL) has partnered with the Department for Regional Development for Northern Ireland and the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs in the south to examine a common design and procurement strategy for small ferries which could be used by all three countries.
Funded by the EU’s INTERREG IVA programme, at least eight routes will be examined which covers the West Coast of Scotland and Ireland, including the Ballycastle to Rathlin route in Northern Ireland.
This strategy will help reduce overhead costs and increase the potential for efficiency savings through more joined up working across the jurisdictions.
Ministers from Ireland, north and south, and Scotland have welcomed the development and the benefits that it will bring to the three countries.
Scottish Transport Minister Stewart Stevenson said: “This partnership heralds a new way of working together which will improve and enhance ferry services for remote and island communities on both sides of the Irish Sea. In these challenging economic times it is important we improve transport links across Scotland so that communities and individuals can make the fullest possible contribution to our goal of increasing sustainable economic growth for years to come.”
Irish Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht affairs, Éamon Ó Cuív T.D. added, “We welcome this new partnership which draws the three Governments together with the shared goal of looking at delivering improved public services by sharing information and best practice while studying the advantages of common design and procurement.”
In welcoming the EU grant, Minister for Regional Development, in the North of Ireland, Conor Murphy said: “Joint co-operation through this partnership will bring benefits and improvements for our most remote communities. I look forward to the Small Ferries Project leading the way for further collaboration to assist the development of small islands.”
• The grant of £233,750 has been made by the Special EU INTERREG IVA Programme – a Cross-Border Territorial Cooperation Programme for Northern Ireland, the Border Region and Western Scotland. The overall aim of the INTERREG IVA Programme is to: ‘Support strategic cross-border co-operation for a more prosperous and sustainable region.’
• The areas covered will include :
Alt an Chorrain to Leab Gharbn, Arainn Mor
Alt an Chorrain to Toraigh
Ballycastle to Rathlin
Tarbert to Portavadie
Gigha to Tayinloan
Oban to Lismore
Tobermory to Kilchoan
Sconser to Raasay
• CMAL, who own property at piers and harbours at more than 21 locations throughout Scotland, are embarking on a programme of investment and improvements which will create better facilities and more opportunities for additional ferry services.
CMAL is a publicly owned company with Scottish Ministers as the sole shareholder.
• The Department for Regional Development (DRD) is one of 11 Northern Ireland Departments created in 1999 by the Departments (Northern Ireland) Order 1999. Their main responsibilities include regional planning, roads, water, public transport and certain policy and support work for air and sea ports;
• The Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Ireland aims to promote and support the sustainable and inclusive development of communities both urban and rural, including Gaeltacht and island communities.
MAOINIÚ Á CHUR AR FÁIL AG AN EORAIP DO THIONSCADAL NA MBÁD FARANTÓIREACHTA OILEÁIN
Tá deontas AE os cionn £230,000 bronnta le haghaidh comhpháirtíocht speisialta teasteorann chun a dheimhniú conas is fearr cabhlach bád farantóireachta beag a chruthú chun freastal a dhéanamh ar phobail iargúlta amach ó imeallbhord na hAlban agus na hÉireann.
Tá comhpháirtíocht ar bun idir Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd (CMAL) leis an Roinn Forbartha Réigiúnaí do Thuaisceart Éireann agus an Roinn Gnóthaí Pobail, Tuaithe agus Gaeltachta sa deisceart chun imscrúdú a dhéanamh ar dhearadh coiteann agus straitéis soláthair choiteann do bháid farantóireachta a bhféadfadh na trí thír úsáid a bhaint astu.
Déanfar imscrúdú ar ocht mbealach ar a laghad, le maoiniú ó chlár INTERREG IVA an AE, a chlúdaíonn Cósta Iarthair na hAlban agus na hÉireann, lena n-áirítear bealach Ballycastle go dtí Reachlainn i dTuaisceart Éireann.
Cabhróidh an straitéis seo leis na forchostais a laghdú agus an poitéinseal atá ann do choigiltis éifeachtúlachta a mhéadú trí obair níos comhtháite ar fud na ndlínsí.
Chuir Airí ó Éirinn, an tuaisceart agus an deisceart, agus an Albain fáilte roimh an bhforbairt agus na tairbhí a mbainfidh na trí thír aisti.
Dúirt Aire Iompair na hAlban, Stewart Stevenson: “Cuireann an chomhpháirtíocht seo tús le bealach nua chun comhoibriú a dhéanamh le chéile, a fheabhsóidh agus a chuirfidh le seirbhísí bád farantóireachta do phobail iargúlta agus oileáin ar dhá thaobh Mhuir Éireann. I bhfianaise na gcúinsí dúshlánacha eacnamaíocha seo, tá sé tábhachtach go bhfeabhsaímid naisc iompair ar fud na hAlban ionas gur féidir le pobail agus daoine aonair cúnamh a thabhairt a mhéid is féidir lenár sprioc chun fás inbhuanaithe eacnamaíoch a mhéadú a bhaint amach ar feadh na mblianta amach romhainn.”
Dúirt an tAire Gnóthaí Pobail, Tuaithe agus Gaeltachta, Éamon Ó Cuív T.D., leis, ”Cuirfimid fáilte roimh an gcomhpháirtíocht nua seo a thugann trí Rialtas le chéile agus sprioc comhroinnte acu chun féachaint do sheirbhísí poiblí feabhsaithe a sheachadadh trí fhaisnéis agus sárchleachtas a roinnt agus ag an am céanna staidéar a dhéanamh ar buntáistí an dearaidh agus soláthair choitinn.”
Dúirt an tAire Forbartha Réigiúnaí i dTuaisceart Éireann agus fáilte á cur aige roimh an deontas AE: “Maidir le comhoibriú trasteorann beidh buntáistí agus feabhsaithe i gceist dár bpobail is iargúlta trín gcomhpháirtíocht seo. Táim ag súil leis an treoir a chuirfidh Tionscadal na mBád Farantóireachta ar fáil chun a thuilleadh comhoibrithe a dhéanamh le cúnamh a thabhairt le forbairt na n-oileán beag.”
• Cuireadh an deontas £233,750 ar fáil trí Chlár Speisialta INTERREG IVA an AE – Clár Comhoibrithe Chríche Trasteorann do Thuaisceart Éireann, don Réigiún Teorann agus d’Iarthar na hAlban. Is í aidhm fhoriomlán an Chláir INTERREG IVA chun: ‘Tacaíocht a thabhairt do chomhoibriú straitéiseach trasteorann le haghaidh réigiúin níos rathúla agus níos inbhuanaithe.’
• Ar na ceantair a chlúdófar, áireofar :
Alt an Chorráin go dtí Leab Gharbh, Árainn Mhór
Alt an Chorráin go dtí Toraigh
Ballycastle go dtí Reachlainn
Tarbert go dtí Portavadie
Gigha go dtí Tayinloan
Oban go dtí Lismore
Tobermory go dtí Kilchoan
Sconser go dtí Raasay
• Tá CMAL, ar leo maoin ag céanna agus cuanta ag breis is 21 suíomh ar fud na hAlban, ag tabhairt faoi chlár infheistíochta agus feabhsuithe a chruthóidh saoráidí níos fearr agus níos mó deiseanna le haghaidh seirbhísí breise bád farantóireachta.
Is cuideachta faoi úinéireacht phoiblí é CMAL, a bhfuil Airí na hAlban ina scairshealbhóir aonair.
• Tá an Roinn Forbartha Réigiúnaí (DRD) ar ceann de 11 Roinn i dTuaisceart Éireann, a cruthaíodh sa bhliain 1999 leis an Departments (Northern Ireland) Order 1999. Áirítear ar a bpríomhfhreagrachtaí, pleanáil réigiúnach, bóithre, iompar poiblí agus obair áirithe bheartais agus tacaíochta do chalafoirt aeir agus farraige;
• Tá sé mar aidhm ag an Roinn Gnóthaí Pobail, Tuaithe agus Gaeltachta, Éire, forbairt inbhuanaithe agus uileghabhálach phobal, idir uirbeach agus tuaithe, a chur chun cinn agus a thacú, lena n-áirítear pobail Ghaeltachta agus oileáin.
Chun a thuilleadh faisnéise a fháil, déan teagmháil le Andrew Flockhart, CMAL, ar 01475-749920 nó cuir rphost chuig andrew.flockhart@cmassets.co.uk
Issued by the Press & Information Office at the Dept. of Community, Rural & Gaeltacht Affairs
Eisithe ag Oifig Preasa & Eolais na Roinne Gnóthaí Pobail, Tuaithe agus Gaeltachta.