Treasury Minister Alex Allinson has called the Ben my Chree a valuable part of the Steam Packet fleet.
He made the comments this week in the House of Keys when he faced questions over the vessel's use.
Dr Allinson revealed the company's backup ferry made six trips in April.
And he said although it was now more than a quarter of a century old, it was still a useful asset:
Two more schemes backed by government fund
The Department for Enterprise says it's backing two more developments in Douglas under the Island Infrastructure Scheme.
Island to get Bikesafe scheme for first time
A special training scheme for bikers will come to the Isle of Man for the first time this year - just in time for TT!
Jurby Junk's Stella dies aged 90
The woman who founded legendary bric-a-brac store Jurby Junk has died.
No plans to publish UK's assisted dying letters
Chief Minister Alf Cannan says he won't publish letters sent from the UK government querying the Island's assisted dying laws.
Burst water main disrupts Onchan supply
Manx Utilities is currently dealing with a burst water main on Royal Avenue in Onchan.
Government advice following spike in data breaches
The government's cybersecurity centre has issued advice to organisations after a sharp rise in the number of people hit by data breaches.
Plans for four-foot flood walls at Ramsey harbour
The Department of Infrastructure has submitted a planning application to try to protect Ramsey from sea flooding in future.
Garage blaze in the early hours of this morning
The fire service says it tackled a fire in Douglas in the early hours of this morning, Tuesday, February 10.
