From Galway Bay FM newsroom- A Harbour Master is to be appointed on Inisheer and regulations as to the use of the harbour, and its surroundings, are to be introduced.
The forthcoming changes were discussed at the latest meeting of the Connemara Municipal Authority with the matter on the agenda of a full meeting of Galway County Council next Monday.
Inisheer in the Aran Islands attracts thousands of visitors with ferry services operating to the island from County Clare and from Connemara.
The harbour is in the process of a major development and new regulations are planned.
Storage locations, ferry schedules, movement of vessels, touting for business in the vicinity of the harbour and fees per passenger to pay for the upkeep of facilities will be among the arrangements
Connemara Councillors were told that the fee is likely to be 80 cents per passenger and nominal fees for regular users of ferry services.
It is envisaged also that these fees would be sufficient to pay for the Harbour Master.
Councillor Eileen Mannion called for a schedule that would avoid ferries arriving at the Harbour the one time.
Both Councillor Mannion and Thomas Welby said that pressures on Councillors when bye-laws came into force in Inish Mór some years ago were sometimes unrestrained and they hoped this would not be repeated in relation to the changes in Inisheer.
