DRD – Rathlin Island Ferry Service Provision.

Descriptions

The Department for Regional Development wishes to appoint a service provider to operate a life-line ferry service between Ballycastle and Rathlin Island.The contract objectives for the service are:— To maintain a 'life-line' service to Rathlin Island; and— Link with other statutory authorities to enhance the Island community.DRD have satisfied themselves that the purpose of this Public Service Obligation/Contract is to meet the Departments policy objectives to deliver lifeline ferry services between Ballycastle and Rathlin Island which will be subsidised by the Department through a public service contract complying with the Cabotage Regulations and the EU maritime State Aid rules as set out in Council Regulation (EEC) 3577/92 and Commission decision 2012/21/EU.The Service of General Economic Interest (SGEI) public service subsidy being provided as part of this contract does not constitute state aid and therefore there is no requirement to notify the European Commission because the following rules, established as part of the landmark Altmark judgement, have been satisfied:— There is a clearly defined public service obligation,— The parameters for calculating the subsidy have been established in advance in and objective and transparent manner,— The Subsidy will not exceed the relevant costs and a reasonable profit and— The provider will be chosen following a public procurement procedure.The service requirements are set out in the Specification. In preparing the Service Specification the Department has had particular regard to the following key principles:Safety Standards -Safety of passengers and crews is a fundamental issue which under no circumstances can be compromised or diluted;Standards and Quality - Emphasis has been placed not only on accurately defining the existing level of services supplied but also on quality;Reliability - Emphasis is placed on the ability to deliver consistently the required levels of service, hence reliability is a fundamental principle;Performance - Continued high standards of punctuality and availability of vessels; andCompliance - Continued compliance with all relevant laws, rules and legislation is essential.This tender is designed to identify, by Public Service Contract, the tenderer requiring the lowest financial compensation in all but exceptional and duly justified circumstances to meet the service requirements. This is in line with EU rules.The initial contract period is for 2 years with options to extend for 6 months at a time up to a maximum contract period of 5 years.