Meeting of the Parliament 14 June 2023
Before beginning, I would like to welcome Fiona Hyslop to her new post. She brings an enormous amount of experience to the role, and I am really pleased to be working with her as team transport.
On the matters at hand, I want to begin with a clear and unequivocal acknowledgement of the importance of the matters that are being debated today. For Scotland’s island communities, ferries are not just a mode of transport; they are lifeline services that bring food and vital supplies and that support economic activity. It follows, then, that the issue is not just about the improvement of transport service performance; it is about delivering the confidence that is needed to sustain our island populations and ensure that people and businesses can thrive. Insofar as Michael Mara rehearsed those points, I agree with him.
However, as I said in the chamber recently, following the protests on South Uist, I will not prevaricate about the strain that is currently being felt in the network. On-going technical issues with vessels have resulted in delays to the annual overhaul programme, and the cancellation of sailings has been the result. Regrettably, some communities have been more impacted than others. I absolutely recognise the need to improve CalMac’s reliability and rebuild confidence in services.