Infrastructure Minister Phil Gawne says so far, eight companies shown interest in running ferry services to and from the Isle of Man.
In Tynwald today (20 Jan) he faced questions from Michael MHK Alf Cannan about how many expressions of interest the department had received for freight and passenger services.
Mr Gawne said at this stage, the Department of Infrastructure was just testing the market and the deadline for declarations of interest had been extended by two weeks, until 21 January.
The minister said his department would be open to a public debate about its policy on ferry services and he insisted the current process is not about tendering or bidding for contracts:
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