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Displaying items by tag: Dept of Infrastructure

The ferry operator which serves Rathlin Island off the Antrim coast has ceased trading due to "financial difficulty".

Rathlin Island Ferry Limited which operates between Rathlin Island and Ballycastle Harbour, in a Directors statement expressed "regret" as it announced that its last sailing (today, 11 January) will depart the mainland at 16.00 GMT.

The company using a fast-craft catamaran and car-ferry, added that an insolvency practitioner has been appointed to place the firm into liquidation.

The six-mile route is where RIFL had operated on behalf of the Department for Infrastructure which Afloat adds awarded a contract to Arklow Marine Services to build a car-ferry. The 6 vehicle ferry, Spirit of Rathlin entered service in 2017.

According to a DFI spokesperson, they were notified on Wednesday that the company was to cease trading with immediate effect.

The closure of RIFL follows strike action by ferry workers over pay and conditions which led to sailings cancelled. In addition weeks of engagement were held between the Department for Infrastructure and the ferry operator about the contract and the company's financial position.

The DFI spokesperson also added that it recognised the importance of the ferry service for the local community.

The Island has a population of around 150 residents.

BBC News NI has more details of the company's closure and response from local politicians. 

Published in Ferry

About Warrenpoint Port

The Original Port of Warrenpoint was constructed in the late 1770s and acted as a lightering port for the much larger Port of Newry.

Following the demise of Newry Port Warrenpoint Harbour Authority was created as a Trust Port by legislation in 1971. The modern Port was completed in 1974 when it covered 28 acres. Since then the port has expanded to its current size of approximately 53 Acres. The Authority has just completed a £22 Million capital infrastructure project (under the terms of a Service of General Economic Interest with the Department for Regional Development) that includes, the construction of a 300 Metres of Deep Water Quay (7.5 Metres C.D), new Ro-Ro berthing facilities, additional lands and covered storage facilities and a new 100 Tonne mobile crane.

  • Warrenpoint Port is the second largest port in Northern Ireland and the fifth-biggest on the island of Ireland.
  • Warrenpoint Harbour Authority was created as a Trust Port by legislation in 1971.
  • In 2018, the value of goods moving through Warrenpoint Port was £6.5 billion. The Port handled 3.56 million tonnes in 2017, increasing to 3.6m in 2018.
  • The port employs 70 staff directly and supports over 1,500 in the local economy.
  • In addition to serving the markets in Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland, the Port deals with imports and exports from countries and regions across the world including to Spain, Italy, Sweden, Belgium, Germany, Ukraine and the Americas.

 

At A Glance – Warrenpoint Port

  • Warrenpoint, Newry BT34 3JR, United Kingdom Phone: +44 28 4177 3381

     

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