Treasury Minister Dr Alex Allinson has admitted the final cost of the Isle of Man ferry terminal in Liverpool is still unknown despite having opened more than a year ago.

At this week’s Tynwald sitting – the last before the summer recess - Douglas Central MHK Chris Thomas asked Treasury Minister Dr Alex Allinson what the final cost of the Isle of Man Ferry Terminal in Liverpool is.

Dr Allinson told Tynwald there are still ‘a number of issues to resolve’ which is being handled by the Department of Infrastructure’s (DoI) legal advisers.

He said: ‘On this basis, Treasury cannot be currently certain of the exact final cost, as previously stated in this honourable court. The time to debate this project is when we have the final account and all the facts are clear when the final account is settled.

‘The intention has always been to bring the Isle of Man ferry terminal Liverpool scheme to Treasury to Tynwald for a supplementary vote to regularize the budget position.’

Mr Thomas questioned why no final figure was yet known so long after the project was completed and whether this was due to ‘legal wranglings’.

Dr Allinson admitted the final account is usually known 65 weeks after completion of the project.

He explained that completion of the contracts work the ferry terminal was handed over on April 5, 2024 and welcomed its first passengers on June 25 which meant the timescale passed on July 4.

He added: ‘But there are ongoing adjudications outstanding with the contractor, because this has not been a normal contract and has been beset by a whole range of issues about the overall cost.

‘While the land acquisition costs and the bond insurance costs remained the same, there had been significant increases on legal costs and a slight increase in terms of furniture and equipment costs, including the baggage handling system.

‘The current situation is that the DoI have significant legal advice to help them deal with the various contractors involved in this project.’