The repairs to the cable car used to access Dursey Island are "nearing completion" as it is anticipated the service will resume within the next two months, Cork County Council has confirmed.

A ferry service to the island has been in place since late May following the ceasing of cable car operations on April 1, after an inspection report deemed remedial works necessary.

The delivery of a minor but essential part of the improvement works is currently awaited, and subject to a statutory inspections process, the cable car will resume service when this is in place. 

A spokesperson for Cork County Council, which manages the temporary emergency ferry service, said:

In a previous statement, Cork County Council said the ferry would operate for one hour each side of high tide three days per week – Friday, Saturday and Monday. A current timetable has not been provided.

The ferry operator is required by licence to monitor weather and tidal conditions and to only operate the ferry service when it is safe to do so, the council confirmed.

The ferry service has been criticised by independent TD for Cork south west, Michael Collins who has said the government has "completely failed" to appreciate the scale of the challenges imposed on people following delayed repairs.

"A helicopter service must be put in place immediately for the people of Dursey Island, so people can get food and get onto the island to feed their cattle, as well as a derrick being provided on the mainland," the deputy urged.

Deputy Collins recently raised the matter in the Dáil with Tánaiste Leo Varadkar, who said he would have the matter investigated as he did "not have an update to hand”.

“The Tánaiste’s reply made it clear that the effective stranding of Irish citizens on one of our own coastal islands is not even on the government’s radar.

"This is simply intolerable as we now know that the original date for repair completions has been pushed back, and the cable car may not become operational until January 2023," according to Deputy Collins.