THE Chief Minister has met with the Steam Packet Company today (Tuesday) to discuss how the company is planning to maintain services to the Island in the run up to Christmas.

Allan Bell MHK met with Mark Woodward, the Steam Packet's chief executive, following weeks of cancellations to Ben-my-Chree services.

These have been due in part to adverse weather conditions being experienced in the Irish Sea and in part to the boat's broken bow thrust unit.

This weekend the Ben-my-Chree will go into dry-dock to have the unit repaired but this means the Island will be forced to rely entirely on the fast craft Manannan to provide both a passenger and freight service.

Mr Bell said: "The Steam Packet is obviously faced with an exceptional situation at the moment as an unusually prolonged succession of gales has coincided with the Ben-my-Chree's technical issues which are scheduled to be resolved this weekend.
 
"Clearly it will be necessary, once the immediate difficulties have been overcome, for the government and Steam Packet to sit down together to review what lessons can be learned for the future from this experience.
 
"In the meantime I have impressed upon the company the importance of this time of year for local retail businesses, as well as other aspects of Island life, and I have encouraged them to keep up their communication with the public.

"My impression from talking to people is that most of members of the public are being grown-up about what is happening and understand that services have been disrupted by a rare convergence of circumstances."

Also see: No freight vessel to serve the Island says Steam Packet