Swinney's £10m islands fund 'too little, too late' as CalMac ferry crisis intensifies
£10m funding and CalMac board seats for islanders pledged
First Minister John Swinney has been criticised for doing "too little, too late" after he tried to take the initiative on the CalMac ferries crisis by announcing a £10 million fund for affected island businesses and more seats on the CalMac board for islanders.
The move came hours after CalMac’s ferry crisis intensified with nearly one third of its fleet out of action including its fault-plagued year-old vessel Glen Sannox, which needs further repairs.
Mr Swinney said he would introduce the fund in the first 20 days of a SNP administration and “ensure that the needs of island communities are at the heart of government”.
But, opposition leaders accused the SNP leader of having a “brass neck” over his response to the ferries crisis, with his pledge condemned as “patronising nonsense” and “too little, too late” in the face of widespread disruption caused by multiple vessel breakdowns.
The £10m resilience fund for islanders is less than it cost to repair CalMac’s Caledonian Isles ferry, which was off one of the main Arran routes for nearly two years.
Six of the Scottish government-owned operator’s vessels are out of service along with four smaller ferries, prompting chief executive Duncan Mackison to warn passengers that “significant disruption on multiple routes is unavoidable”.
This compares to a previous peak of nine vessels not working last week.
Mr Mackison said: “Though the situation appeared to be stabilising, emergent issues across major and small vessels means the unprecedented scenario we find ourselves in has worsened.
“Everyone at CalMac is acutely aware of the level of disruption many islands on our network have faced recently, and I apologise for that.”
CalMac’s latest problems include a fuel leak in Glen Sannox, days after returning from week-long repairs.
It had been back in service last Thursday following problems with its port engine exhaust which left it out of action for a week.
The operator has now cancelled plans to redeploy the ferry to the Western Isles to plug a gap in services.
Investigations into the “root cause” of the leak were continuing “and any successful return to service will be subject to this being resolved and further sea trials”.
CalMac also signalled its growing frustration with the Ferguson Marine-built vessel, which has spent about a quarter of its operational life out of action since entering service six-and-a-half years late in January last year. Repair costs are expected to reach £3.2 million.
The CalMac spokesperson said: “We recognise that Glen Sannox has had persistent issues since returning from overhaul and this is undermining confidence in service.
“Due to this, we’re going to keep Glen Sannox on the Clyde to operate alongside [Ardrossan-Brodick ferry] Caledonian Isles, ensuring that she is nearby to shore support and third-party expertise should it be required.”
Sailings on the Troon-Brodick route were due to resume today (Wednesday) when Alfred, its secondary ferry, returns to service following annual overhaul, two days later than scheduled.
Other ferries undergoing scheduled annual refits include Isle of Lewis, which serves the Barra route. It was due back a month ago but repairs to decayed steelwork are now due to take until the end of May.
This has coincided with several ferries breaking down, including 37-year-old Lord of the Isles, which has a “technical issue” with its starboard [right] main engine.
CalMac said the ferry will be moved to the Clyde “for investigation into the root cause and repairs” from Thursday, which could take up to a week.
Meantime, 42-year-old Isle of Arran remains out of action while engineers struggle to source a replacement coupling for its bow thruster because of the vessel’s age. A new one may need to specially made.
A sixth major vessel, Hebrides, is now due to return to service on the Skye-Harris-North Uist routes across the Little Minch on April 18, three days later than scheduled.
Mr Swinney said it would “bring forward” a £10m islands operational resilience fund “to support impacted businesses and organisations across Scotland’s islands” within 20 days of a SNP administration being voted in on May 7.
He said he would also “take steps to ensure that the boards of CalMac and [parent firm] David MacBrayne are more responsive to island communities by ensuring greater representation of island residents among members”.
Mr Swinney said: “Scotland’s islands have always held a special place in my heart. I care about them deeply – and as First Minister, I will always ensure that the needs of island communities are at the heart of government.
“I know that people on our islands have suffered real disruption as a result of issues with ferry services since the start of the year.”
On board representation, he said: “These ferry services are a lifeline for our islands and they must have island residents at their heart – setting the agenda, bringing their perspectives to the heart of decision making and making the voices of our islands heard.
“That is what you get from the me and the SNP – a First Minister and a government that is always on the side of Scotland’s islands.”
Bill Calderwood, secretary of the official Arran Ferry Committee, said: “This statement totally misrepresents the situation that islands have experienced over many years. Arran has had more than three years of deteriorating service.
“It also suggests the First Minister has not grasped the extent of the damage the constant uncertainty and failures to deliver are having on our communities.
“Having island residents on the boards needs to be complemented by some process that allows their voice to be reflected into the operational activities of the organisations.”
Scottish Labour transport spokesperson Daniel Johnson said: “John Swinney must think islanders button up backwards if he expects them to believe a word he says on ferries.
“This patronising nonsense adds insult to injury and bizarrely seems to suggests the ferry crisis just began this year.
“For years, people have missed weddings, funerals, medical appointments and interviews, and businesses have lost customers and struggled to get products on and off the island.
“It is too little, too late from John Swinney and the SNP – but Scottish Labour is ready to deliver the change islands need.”
Scottish Conservatives islands spokesman Jamie Halcro Johnston: "John Swinney has some brass neck pretending the SNP are a friend of Scotland's island communities.
"He has been at the heart of a government over the last two decades which has betrayed them at every turn.
"Their ferries fiasco is a complete scandal which has decimated businesses in our islands and left islanders without lifeline services."
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