Rathlin Island ferry service to Ballycastle ferry closes down
WATCH: Final ferry by Rathlin Island Ferry Company gets underway:
The company which operates the ferry service between Rathlin Island and Ballycastle has ceased trading.
A new operator for the service has since been announced.
The Rathlin Island Ferry Company Limited is operated on behalf of the Department of Infrastructure and the decision follows several weeks of engagement with officials over the contract, including the financial position of the company.
On Wednesday, the department said it received notification from the company that it is to cease trading with immediate effect.
WATCH: Paul Reilly has the latest from Ballycastle:
The department has been working on establishing a replacement service.
In a statement the Department of Infrastructure said: "The department recognises the importance of the ferry service for the local community and has been taking forward work on potential contingency arrangements with the expectation that these could be implemented urgently, and which include seeking to protect the interests of the staff as far as possible.
"It is our plan to provide a further update on these arrangements as soon as possible.”
Following the announcement, north Antrim Sinn Féin MLA Philip McGuigan urgently called for a "contingency plan."
"The Rathlin Island ferry provides an essential and vital service and it must be protected. Today's announcement by RIFL is disappointing, but the Department for Infrastructure must act quickly to put in place a contingency plan to ensure the continuity of a ferry service between Rathlin and Ballycastle.
“This solution must protect islanders, those who work on the island and also ferry staff currently working on the ferry. I have been in contact with and will continue to engage with the Department to help resolve this situation."
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