LEISURE Minister Tim Crookall MHK has admitted that he is yet to be convinced of the need for a £750,000 brand new replacement diesel locomotive for the Isle of Man Steam Railway.
The island’s heritage railways fall under his remit and it was announced in the Budget that Tynwald would be asked to approve the funding – from the capital fund – at the July sitting.
The inclusion of the diesel loco in the Budget has been criticised at a time when the axe is falling on front-line services, benefits and tax reliefs.
Mr Crookall was speaking at the first community meeting, for members of the public to question the Council of Ministers on issues concerning them, at the Manx Museum on Wednesday.
Mr Crookall said: ‘It’s been in the pink book for three years. It won’t come to Tynwald until I’m assured it’s the right thing to do.’
He added: ‘At the moment we have a 1926 train chugging around trying to do the job. We don’t have a serviceable one [diesel] to do the job. I have not been convinced myself we need one.’
Mr Crookall said he had asked officers in the DCCL to go back and look at the issue again.
More than 100 people attended Wednesday’s meeting, which was chaired by Chief Minister Allan Bell.
He joked at the start that he hoped everyone had left their eggs at the door, as requested, before expressing his hope that the meeting would mark the start of the Council of Ministers communicating better with island residents.
The meeting was attended by all of the ministers, except for Home Affairs Minister Juan Watterson.
Mr Bell said: ‘Unfortunately he has to be off-island today and has missed the opportunity to meet you all.’
During the three-hour meeting, Treasury Minister Eddie Teare MHK gave an outline of the Budget, with the result that this raised a number of questions from people concerned about the ‘optimistic forecasts’.
Education and Children Minister Peter Karran came under fire over pre-school education and postgraduate fees, both inside the meeting and out, with a protest at the front door of the museum.
And Social Care Minister Chris Robertshaw was criticised over his actions of bringing in a 10 per cent public sector rent increase before concluding a review of government housing policy, including the possibility of means-testing.