Delivery of cargo to the Aran Islands has been disrupted by a decision to halt sailings of the regular ferry from Galway docks for both safety and financial reasons.
Marine surveyors have detained the Oileann Arainn until a range of technical difficulties are addressed, according to the Maritime Safety Directorate.
The vessel, which is under Government contract to provide cargo deliveries and passenger sailings to the island, was inspected in Galway late this week and did not sail as usual yesterday.
In a separate development, Galway Harbour Office also took steps to prevent the vessel from sailing or from loading cargo yesterday, due to non-payment of harbour dues. The ferry, owned by O'Brien Shipping of Clare, owes €25,000 in unpaid dues, according to the harbourmaster, Capt Brian Sheridan.
However, last night a spokeswoman for the Department of Community Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs said the difficulties between the ferry company and the Galway harbour company appeared to be close to resolution. A reserve vessel would deliver cargo to the islands today and normal sailings would resume on Monday, if technical difficulties with the vessel could be sorted.
The Department pays the €603,000 annual subsidy to the ferry company, which has provided the cargo and passenger transport at a cost of €7 million over 12 years. This contract is due up at the end of this year and has already been the subject of criticism by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG).
A CAG report into subsidised ferry services to the Aran Islands found serious flaws and questioned a Government decision to renew it in 1997 without conducting an evaluation of the company's performance or the use of its service.
The Department intends to end the Galway service altogether in two years and to run cargo from the fishing harbour and passenger ferryport of Rossaveal from January 2007.
Last year, O'Brien Shipping was fined €3,000 for hygiene breaches in delivering foodstuffs to the islands. The directors of the company, Mr Kevin O'Brien and Mr Bill O'Brien (not related), also own Doolin Ferries in Co Clare. They were jailed in September for a night after being found in contempt of a court order aimed at easing tensions between rival ferry companies in the Clare harbour.
O'Brien Shipping was not available yesterday for comment.
