Vol. 534 No. 4
70 Mr. J. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage Gaeltacht and the Islands the number of islands for which her Department has a responsibility; the number of these which are permanently inhabited; the total population involved; and the plans she has to encourage an increase in the population on these islands. [10669/01]
While there have been exceptions, in general only islands satisfying the following criteria can normally be considered for the purposes of assistance from the islands division of my Department: islands lacking a bridge connecting them to the mainland; islands cut off from the mainland daily by the tide; islands which are currently permanently inhabited; and islands which are not in private ownership. Since responsibility for the islands was transferred from the Department of the Taoiseach in 1997, the islands listed in Appendix 1 have received assistance from my Department. The latest population figures for most of these islands are available in Census 1996, Table 11 – Population of Inhabited Islands off the Coast, 1991 and 1996.
In order to stabilise and increase the population on these islands, my Department has since 1997 made considerable progress in the development of the islands through financing island infrastructural projects and transport services. In 2000 alone, a sum of £3.269 million was spent to aid the provision and improvement of island infrastructure, such as marine works, roads, coastal protection, etc. Works financed during 2000 included: grants of £0.71 million paid to provide/improve electricity supply on seven offshore islands; approximately £0.21 million spent on a study of piers serving Clare Island and Inishturk off the Mayo coast; over £0.2 million spent on works on piers serving two islands off the Cork coast; £0.402 million paid to commence building a new bridge to Inishnee in County Galway; £0.221 million paid to set up a waste recycling scheme on the Aran Islands; a substantial amount of funding provided to the local authorities in respect of coastal protection works and improvements to roads and water supply on islands; a grant of £1.45 million approved for Mayo County Council to provide a cable car between the mainland and Inishbiggle at Bullsmouth; £0.054 million paid to Údarás na Gaeltachta for preliminary work on the development of an airstrip at Clifden, County Galway, to serve Inishbofin; and £0.165 million paid to Donegal County Council to carry out major improvement works on the harbour facilities at Léab Gharbh, Arranmore Island, County Donegal.
My Department has also requested the local authorities to engage consultants to carry out feasibility studies on the development of improved pier infrastructure on a number of islands. The results of these studies are expected before the end of the year. One of the priorities for islanders is the improvement of island access and, with this in mind, a sum of £1.346 million was also spent in 2000 to assist current projects, especially to provide or improve ferry and air services to the islands. The services assisted include a passenger and freight service from Galway to the Aran Islands; a daily ferry service for passengers between Inis Mór, Árainn and Ros a'Mhíl, and Inis Meáin and Inis Oírr and Ros a'Mhíl; ferry services between Inishbofin, Inishturk and Clare Island and the mainland; a ferry service between Cape Clear Island and the mainland; ferry services between Sherkin, Whiddy and Bere Islands and the mainland; a ferry service between Tory Island and the mainland; and an air service between the Aran Islands and the mainland.
