Concerned islanders on Tory have called on the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht, Dara Calleary, to travel to the island to see the need for a ferry upgrade first-hand.
The island has been waiting on a ferry and pier project promised in 2018.
They are now seeking a public, town hall-style meeting on the island to voice their frustration.
Islander John Paul Rodgers said: “Closed-door meetings with select “representatives” are not enough. The people of Tory Island have waited seven years for delivery on a promise backed by public vote and ministerial commitment.
“Let the Minister face the same journey. Let him see the pier. Let him listen to the community directly.
“Anything less is just another delay.”
Last month, Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister to visit the island and engage with the community. Minister Calleary responded: “I have far greater belief in getting to see something for myself and engaging with the community on the ground … as I will do over the summer.”
He added: “I intend to visit it over the summer to envisage it. My understanding is that we allocated funding to Donegal County Council to complete a report and we are waiting on that.”
Funding of €101,844 was awarded to Donegal County Council in 2022 to do a study on the question of the pier to solve the issue concerning the sea bed. However, the money was not drawn and no progress has been made on the report due to “workload”.
No date or plan for the Minister’s visit has been confirmed either.
Mr Rodgers said the project was “derailed from the start”, despite the government committing to deliver the ferry within three years.
A committee, ‘Coiste Bhád Úr Thoraí’, was supposed to be established with representatives from the Department of the Gaeltacht and the Islands, from Donegal County Council and Comharchumann Thoraí on it.
The committee would provide proposals to the Department after six months about the new ferry boat for the island and the Department would then have 18 months to provide the new boat.
However, according to information received by 7LÁ under the Freedom of Information Act, there is no record of minutes from this committee, and 7LÁ understands that the committee was never established.
Mr Rodgers says that the stalled upgrade “isn’t normal delay—it’s systemic de-prioritisation”.
