Máire Geoghegan-Quinn
Question:92 Mrs. Geoghegan-Quinn asked the Taoiseach whether his Minister of State, Deputy Carey, will support the plans to provide air services to Inishbofin, Inishturk and Clare Islands. [11142/95]
Written Answers. - Air Transport Services.
The provision of air transport services is primarily a matter for the Department of Transport, Energy and Communications.
As chairman of the Interdepartmental Committee on Island Development, my role is to co-ordinate responses by individual departments in respect of their particular areas of responsibility on matters affecting the development and living standards of our off-shore island communities, for example, housing, roads, healthcare, power supply and transport services.
The committee is examining a wide range of issues affecting island communities including the issue of air transport. The Departments represented on the committee continue to maintain full responsibility for their own areas of policy. In this regard, the Department of Transport, Energy and Communications has a major input to the work of the committee in respect of all transport issues affecting islands.
The report of the committee will provide a context in which individual issues such as transport can be considered by the relevant Ministers. I would expect the committee to finalise its deliberations in the near future.