Irish government pledges €15 million to keep ferry routes open amid COVID-19 pandemic

The Irish government is set to provide a support package of up to €15 million (US$16.29 million) to ferry operators to help maintain the flow of freight traffic between Ireland and the rest of Europe.

The move comes after a number of local and overseas operators were compelled to discontinue their sailings due to travel restrictions aimed at helping prevent the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The funding is intended to fill in any gaps between costs and revenues that operators would otherwise incur if they continued sailing despite the absence of passenger bookings.

The support package will cover operations for the next three months on five routes served by Irish Ferries, Brittany Ferries, and Stena Line.