The Government has allocated a subsidy of €289,000 per annum to help ensure the survival of a Co Mayo ferry service.
The contract with Clare Island Ferry Company for a passenger ferry to the island of Inishturk has been extended for another seven months.
The service will now run to the end of August for tourists and the island's 100 residents. The main ferry to the island, the Pirate Queen, can carry 96 passengers and four crew.
The Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs will seek public tenders for a five-year contract for the service.
"A well-run passenger service is of vital importance for Inishturk, and I am confident that Clare Island Ferry Company will continue to deliver an excellent service in the coming seven months," said Minister of State Éamon Ó Cuív.