MEMBERS OF CORK County Council have written to their local government minister urging State intervention to save the Cork-Swansea ferry route.

Councillors led by Cathaoirleach Tim Lombard (FG) are seeking a meeting with Simon Coveney urging the government to invest in saving the route, whose operator West Cork Tourism Co-Operative Society Ltd says it cannot raise the funds necessary to run the route.

The company ceased operations a fortnight ago and went into receivership, ending the ferry service with the loss of 78 jobs.

“Realistically, Cork is the second biggest city in the Republic, and it’s very important that it has a ferry link with the United Kingdom,” Lombard told TheJournal.ie.

“In the last two years, it has contributed 153,000 visitors, directly to Cork – the spend [Bord Fáilte] are estimating is in the region of €30 million.”

Lombard said he was seeking government intervention to purchase the ferry service from the receiver – possibly in conjunction with local authorities, or with private equity.

While Coveney was being written to because he was the minister closest to the area, he is also the minister for the marine. Councillors have also written to transport minister Leo Varadkar to seek his involvement.

Read: 78 jobs to go with loss of €30m as Cork-Swansea ferry ends service >