asked the Minister for Finance the terms of reference of the Central Development Committee in relation to the development of non-Gaeltacht islands; the funding made available to the committee in each of the past five years; the projects proposed by the committee which have been completed or have commenced in that time; and the projects that have been proposed but not yet acted upon by the committee.
Written Answers. - Development of non-Gaeltacht Islands.
376.
In 1961 the Central Development Committee was given general responsibility for overseeing the affairs of inhabited islands off the west coast. In practice this has meant that the committee has concerned itself primarily with non-Gaeltacht islands as the affairs of Gaeltacht islands have tended to be looked after by Roinn na Gaeltachta, Gaeltarra Éireann and subsequently Údarás na Gaeltachta.
Government policy in relation to non-Gaeltacht and indeed Gaeltacht islands is reflected in the policies of the various Departments and State agencies concerned with development. In addition as the Deputy will be aware the Government decided in 1979 on a number of measures aimed at improving living conditions on inhabited non-Gaeltacht islands off the west coast. These measures embraced such areas as increased new house loans and grants, increased house improvement grants, increased grants towards the provision of supplementary holiday accommodation, the provision of electricity on certain islands and some proposals in regard to the provision of water and sewerage facilities.
With regard to the question of the funding available to the Central Development Committee, no specific provision is made for projects in island locations. The committee examines and advises me on projects in the west generally in relation to grant assistance from the Western Development Fund (including island projects). The amounts allocated to that fund in the period referred to by the Deputy was as follows:— 1979, £230,000; 1980, £400,000; 1981, £410,000; 1982, £680,000; 1983, £572,000; 1984, £510,000; 1985, £500,000.
There are at present no projects that have been considered by the CDC in respect of inhabited islands and not acted upon.