Skellig Michael ferry operators, including Des Lavelle, author of one of the most respected books on the rock, are critical of the OPW's approach to managing public access to the island.
The OPW's annual system of issuing ferry permits without any long-term strategy suggests it may be "trying to close the island down to the public, bit by bit", Lavelle has said. Some 19 annual permits issued under a Government deal in 1994 have dropped to 14, and the OPW has no system for transfer in cases where boat operators retire.
Lavelle has said that this will have serious implications for stewardship of the monument. Kenneth Roddy is one of the 14 boatmen, and he and several colleagues have already initiated legal action over the issue with the OPW. The permits to land visitors are issued year by year, which does not allow for any sort of planning - never mind meeting the cost of equipping boats and meeting stringent safety standards, he says.
The ferry operators are also angry over the OPW's apparent failure to recognise that, as stakeholders, they have a right to engage in consultation on the draft management plan. At a meeting with boatmen representatives in early April, Minister of State for the OPW, Tom Parlon, and Minister for Tourism, John O'Donoghue, appeared to acknowledge the genuine nature of the concerns expressed.
Kenneth Roddy says that he and his colleagues are anxiously awaiting a response from Parlon and O'Donoghue as the new season approaches. Even if the permit issue is resolved, the boatmen will still be seeking participation in the Skellig Michael management plan.