The Programme for Government commits to ensuring that Our Living Islands - the national islands policy - is fully implemented to support sustainable development for island residents.
My Department provides a range of dedicated supports specifically to our inhabited offshore islands, with significant annual investment in subsidised transport services to ensure our island communities can avail of reliable, affordable year-round transport services.
My Department currently subsidises 9 heavy cargo services for 17 separate off-shore islands. In 2025, the most recent full year of service, over 40,000 tonnes of heavy cargo were carried on these services at a cost of €2.17m to the exchequer.
In addition to the dedicated heavy cargo services, 4 passenger ferry services provide a light cargo element to their service, while another 2 passenger services are delivered using ‘Roll on/ Roll off’ vessels, which also allow the carriage of cargo.
My Department procures these cargo services on the open market, adhering to Office of Government Procurement (OGP) regulations. Tender documents set out maximum charges for different categories of cargo carried on subsidised sailings.
In line with a commitment given in Our Living Islands, the Department has taken measures to help reduce the cost of cargo services as contracts come up for renewal. In particular, the charges for some categories of vehicles and machinery have been revised to support building activity on the islands.
These subsidised cargo services greatly reduce the cost of transporting cargo to and from the islands and provide certainty for island residents as regards delivery timetables.
