Watch: Tory Islanders still waiting for a new ferry boat - seven years on

In 2018, the people of Tory Island in Donegal voted to accept proposals presented by independent mediator Pól Ó Gallachóir on behalf of the Department of the Gaeltacht.

Some of the objectives in the proposals were fulfilled, such as new cranes and shelters on Tory Island's pier and at Machaire Rabhartaigh's pier on the mainland. However, there are two significant objectives that were promised in the proposals that have not been fulfilled yet: that a new ferry boat would be made available for the island and a feasibility study carried out on the pier at Machaire Rabhartaigh.

The Department of Rural and Community Development provided funding of almost €102,000 to Donegal County Council in 2022 to carry out a feasibility study on the pier in Machaire Rabhartaigh. The Department have confirmed that they are waiting for the results and recommendations of that study from the County Council, before any further action is taken about the new ferry boat that was promised to the people of Tory Island in 2018.

In a statement, the Department confirmed that they approved "funding of €101,844 to Donegal County Council in 2022 to do a study on the question of the pier to solve the issue concerning the seabed. The Department is waiting on the results and recommendations of that study from the County Council before any further action is taken about the new boat."

However, according to information that 7LÁ has received from Donegal County Council, the feasibility study has not been commenced, there is no deadline disclosed to finish it, and the funding that had been approved in 2022 has not been drawn down.

In a statement, the Council confirmed that they received "funding of €101,844 in 2022 to do a feasibility study at Machaire Rabhartaigh pier. That said, this work has not been completed yet" and "no draw down or progress has been made about the preparation of the feasibility report. An appraisal is needed with regards to a financial process of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. A draft was prepared to discuss it but no progress has been made due to workload. Therefore, the feasibility study has not commenced, there is no deadline disclosed and the funding that had been approved has not been drawn down."

In Pól Ó Gallachóir's proposals, it was stated that a committee, 'Coiste Bhád Úr Thoraí', would 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 7 Lá under the Freedom of Information Act, there is no record of minutes from this committee, and 7Lá understands that the committee was never established.

In a statement, Comharchumann forbartha Thoraí confirmed that they "are aware that Donegal County Council does not currently have enough staff, and despite that we always have open communication with them. We are waiting for news from the Department of Rural and Community Development about the progress of the new ferry boat for Tory Island and the upgrade of the piers at Machaire Rabhartaigh and in Tory."
Speaking on the 7LÁ programme, Pearse Doherty TD, Sinn Féin said "What that government did, we found out within a few months that there was no money set aside for this, that it was an announcement without money and then maybe two years later they put a condition in saying that the work in Machaire Rabhartaigh had to be done first before the ferry boat was built and seven years have passed... I said at the time in 2018 that it was a facade from the Government and that is what is happening in my opinion".