Sometimes in politics it can feel as though you are living through Groundhog Day, where it feels like we are debating the same issues time and time again.

That’s no slight on the issues themselves - they are often of deep importance - but it is a sign that as a Parliament we are not fully addressing these issues, we aren’t solving them.

There’s one such issue for me that has dominated my eight years in politics and that is, unsurprisingly, Scotland’s ferry services.

Over the past year however, it feels like things have got far worse with our lifeline vessels. Be it last minute cancellations, delays, ticketing issues, vessel swaps and harbour closures, I have raised these issues with the Scottish Government time and time again to no avail, so I – like many – decided that enough was enough.

By working with colleagues across the political spectrum, I have managed to secure a key debate straight after First Minister’s Questions on June 20 specifically on the ongoing ferry disruption on the west coast.

The debate will cover a wide range of issues that are disrupting our ferry services

One such issue is the ongoing problems with the MV Caledonian Isles’ maintenance. The key vessel won’t be available until August, leaving the busy Ardrossan – Brodick route with just two vessels this summer, namely the 40 year-old MV Isle of Arran and the MV Alfred.

On the subject of the MV Alfred, I will be highlighting the closure of the Irish berth at Ardrossan Harbour and the impact it has had on Ardrossan’s local economy which heavily relies on commuter traffic.

Unfortunately, as things currently stand, there have been no viable long-term proposals for the future of the harbour and that simply has to change.

Of course, it isn’t just the Ardrossan-Brodick route that will feature in this debate, but the whole of the west coast.

Readers will know all too well that just this month the MV Loch Shira, which usually serves the Cumbrae-Largs route and hasn’t been seen since the beginning of April due to damage to its vehicle ramp, has had its return pushed back until at least next month.

With the ongoing succession of replacement vessels as a result of this, leaving Cumbrae in a state of uncertainty as we approach the busy summer season, I will be pushing for the vital Small Vessel Replacement Scheme to begin as soon as possible to provide new vessels for the route.

This issue is not a political one, but one which should provide cross-party unity from all our community’s representatives, which is why I was disappointed that not one SNP or Green MSP opted to back my debate (at the time of writing).

Nonetheless, a full and frank discussion about our west coast ferry service has been long overdue and I am delighted that I have been able to secure it for our community.