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Politicians from both sides of the North Channel met for the summit on the ferry service, held at Stonefiled Castle Hotel.To buy: c16fer01 |
A VITAL meeting on the future of the Northern Ireland ferry service had to be curtailed on Thursday, to fit in with flight times.
Talks held at the Stonefield Castle Hotel, Tarbert, on Thursday with all parties involved to discuss the ferry’s future started later and finished earlier than all would have wanted because the aircraft carrying the Northern Ireland contingent had to fit in with Campbeltown Airport opening hours.
It meant that Les Oman, of the Dalriada Business Action Group had to gallop through the presentation he gave to help keep the talks running to time.
But even in a shortened version one thing was agreed by all: this is the last chance to get a ferry service running between Campbeltown and Northern Ireland.
HITRANS, the Highlands and Islands Transport Partnership coordinated the event on behalf of MVA Consultancy which is preparing the reports that will decide the fate of the ferry service. Their draft report is expected by June this year.
Invited councillors, officials, members of the Northern Ireland Assembly, Scottish and Westminster parliaments attended along with other interested parties from all walks of commerce, culture, tourism, agriculture.
Councillor Duncan MacIntyre, Argyll and Bute’s transport spokesman opened and closed the meeting.
‘We are really one community; the similarities are unbelievable when it comes to things like genealogy, culture, spirituality and heritage and we should be looking at extending what we have got in common,’ he said.
Councillor Madeline Black of Moyle District Council said: ‘I believe there is a future for a service between Ballycastle and Scotland. This is probably our last chance to prove that it will be viable.’
The draft report in June will look at all the options for a ferry service and also consider the possibility of including an additional leg, via Ayrshire.
When the Argyll and Antrim Steam Packet Company, a subsidiary of Sea Containers ran a summer only service across the North Channel for three summers from 1997 it carried an average of 26,000 passengers and 6,000 vehicles each four month period.
The situation has changed dramatically since then; peace in Northern Ireland has seen an opening up of the business and tourism market.
The commercial and agricultural potential is far greater; the price of building materials in Northern Ireland is considerably cheaper than in Scotland and Argyll businesses like M&K MacLeod already uses this market via Stranraer.
The vast majority of farm implements come from Northern Ireland. Irish and Kintyre fishing boats often work out of opposite sides of the channel and crews would be able to commute home by ferry; tradesmen and women from both locations would have new markets and a ferry would increase the size of the local labour pool in both communities.
All aspects of tourism would benefit, from day trippers and coach parties to specialist niche markets like golfing, natural history, heritage, culture and the whisky trail. Bushmills Whiskey Distillery in Northern Ireland could link into the Scottish Whisky Trail and vice versa.
