Infrastructure Minister Phil Gawne has met with Steam Packet management to discuss the travel disruptions over the Easter weekend.

And he has defended the ferry operator, saying it is too easy to criticise the carriers.

Mr Gawne said that while damage to fast craft vessels and thick fog had created an unusual set of circumstances, efforts would be made to improve communication with passengers.

He said: 'I fully appreciate that travel disruption is a major concern for the public and I wish to thank passengers for their patience and understanding over the Easter weekend.

'Every endeavour will be made to try to limit the impact of any similar situations in future. The Department of Infrastructure is currently considering the long-term provision of strategic sea services and part of that work will look at creating greater resilience on our ferry routes.

'We will also see what can be done at the Sea Terminal and airport to assist operators by providing accurate and up-to-date information to passengers.'

Mr Gawne added: 'It would be easy to just criticise the carriers, but the Steam Packet has made significant improvements to its passenger handling arrangements. The Steam Packet is also one of the few operators with the ability to bring in additional capacity at short notice.

'While it would be ideal to have a spare vessel on standby to cover all eventualities, very few shipping companies have the ability to provide contingency measures for "just in case" scenarios. The department is also acutely aware that the constraints of Douglas harbour make it extremely difficult to charter an appropriate vessel to cover for short-term emergencies.'

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