Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 13 June 2023
66. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development further to Parliamentary Question No. 106 of 25 April 2023, the timeline for the publication of the new policy for the islands; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27833/23]
View answerEvents have overtaken us. My question relates to the publication of the policy document for the islands. Well done and congratulations to the Minister because that document has finally been published. However, it was not initially available in Irish, although it is at this stage. For some 64% of the population of the islands, Irish is their first language but the document was not initially available in Irish. I note that for the record. I have since got an Irish translation.
For the action plan, I will zone in on the implementation body. When is it going to be set up? Who will be on it?
I am delighted to confirm to the Deputy that I launched Our Living Islands, which is an ambitious ten-year policy designed to support vibrant and sustainable island communities. I launched the policy on Árainn Mhór off the coast of County Donegal on Wednesday, 7 June. I had the Irish version of the policy in my hand when I launched it. That was important. I fully understand that we should have the policy in Irish and I ensured we did.
The policy draws on the unique strengths and assets of the islands and sets out under its five strategic objectives a comprehensive way forward which will see island communities grow and prosper. Key to the development of the policy and action plan was the extensive public consultation which enabled island communities and other stakeholders to express their views as to the challenges and opportunities associated with living on an island.
As a result of delivering this policy, we will see more people living on the islands and more people working on our islands with good career prospects, regardless of where their employer is headquartered. Islands will be contributing to, and benefiting from, the transition to a low-carbon economy and a climate-neutral society. Island communities, and especially young people, will have an active role in shaping the future for Ireland’s islands.
Our Living Islands is the first whole-of-government policy for the islands to be published in 27 years and it will be backed up by rolling three-year action plans. I published the first of these action plans last week, with 80 commitments for the period from 2023 to 2026. The actions include improving housing and water infrastructure, better access to essential services in health and education, delivering high-speed broadband, supporting remote working and further developing outdoor amenities and sustainable tourism. These timebound actions will be implemented by various stakeholders led by a nominated Government Department. I will also be appointing representatives from the islands to an oversight committee, chaired by my Department, to ensure that the implementation of the policy is progressed. Toes will be kept to the fire.
The action plan was in Irish but the policy document was not in Irish on the day of the launch. The Irish version came much later. We got access to the action plan on the day.
In respect of implementation, will the Minister confirm when the monitoring body will be set up? She has confirmed there will be island representatives on that body.
I have already said, "Well done". The Minister kept her word in relation to the publication of the document. However, she will forgive me for my scepticism. I tabled a motion in 2019 on the basis of an absence of a policy for the islands despite a 1996 interdepartmental working committee recommendation that a policy was required urgently. Here we are getting a policy 27 years later. Forgive me but in a lot of it, tá athchúrsáil i gceist. There is a lot of recycling of existing policies, which I understand because it is an overall Government strategy. However, I am still extremely concerned about the failure to recognise the difficult situation in which islanders find themselves.
I know the Deputy has an interest in this issue because she has raised it with me on many occasions. I am pleased to say the policy has now been published. It is a good policy. I met the islanders' representative groups from across the different islands and I must say that on the day, they welcomed the policy, which contains a number of initiatives. I want to see quality remote working hubs developed on every island and new e-health pods. I want high-speed broadband to deliver new opportunities for education through blended learning. HSE representatives were on Árainn Mhór on the day of the launch and they were positive about what they can do to support islanders. The vacant homes refurbishment grant, which has been very successful, will include a 20% top-up for islanders. That is a specific commitment I have achieved. This is a whole-of-government policy. There was a lot of consultation around it. The policy was held up because of the Covid-19 pandemic. It is really and truly a ground-up approach. The islanders have had a considerable amount of input into the policy and I am glad of that because they are the people who need to benefit from it.
I thank the Minister. It is difficult to reply to questions within one minute. I will ask again about the monitoring committee. When will it be set up? Who will be on it? I also ask about the Irish language. There is only one page on the Irish language in an 80-page document and that page refers to implementing the Official Languages Act. There is nothing else about the Irish language. Some 79% of the Gaeltacht islands, which form the vast majority of the islands, are Irish speaking. There is absolutely no strategy or action for the Irish language.
A health strategy was published in 2017. It referred to what was needed for health services on the islands. In 2023, we are struggling, despite the Minister's assistance, to provide, for example, a health centre on Inishbofin. That project has not progressed at all because two authorities have not got their acts together. Does the Minister have any intention of basing this policy on legislation? That has been done in Scotland and it has reversed its population decline.
I will go back to the issue of the Irish language copy of the document.
We had hard copies as Gaeilge on the island on the day. They were translated. I had them in my hand, both copies of the action plan and the policy document. It went up later online, but they were definitely there on the day - in fact, that morning.
We have a monitoring committee here. I only launched the strategy last week and I have officials working on the next steps in terms of the monitoring committee. There will be representatives from Comhdháil Oileáin na hÉireann and Comhar na nOileán and we are engaging with them regarding representations on the committee.
I will be on the committee as well. I assure the Deputy that, between me and the islanders, we will hold all the various Departments to account.
There are real actions there. I know that it took longer but I wanted to make sure that we had real tangible actions in this policy.
Legislation.
Let this policy settle now and see how it goes. I am happy that we will make progress.
