Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 15 September 2022
88. Deputy Marc Ó Cathasaigh asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the progress that has been made to date on developing an islands strategy; the anticipated date for the completion and publication of the strategy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45078/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the saying goes, this is like déjà vu happening all over again. This is more or less the same question that was put by Deputy Connolly earlier. I note on the Order Paper that Deputies Cairns and Ó Cuív have a similar question. I ask the Minister for the progress that has been made to date on developing an island strategy, and the anticipated date for its completion and publication.
I thank Deputy Ó Cathasaigh. The Government's ambition for a national policy and action plan for the islands was set out in the programme for Government and included in chapter 10 of Our Rural Future: Rural Development Policy 2021-2025, an action plan for rural development, published in 2021. Indeed, the process commenced in December 2019, when a consultation paper was prepared with input from the participating Departments to act as a basis to advance the development of an island policy. Over the intervening period, there has been an extensive public consultation process with the island communities, through a combination of in-person and online meetings.
The interdepartmental committee for the islands was established and is chaired by the Department. The most recent meeting was held on 22 June 2022, where it was agreed that committee members would review their Department's draft input and revert with revised actions. The next meeting of the interdepartmental committee is scheduled for early October, where it is expected committee members will be able to share their feedback, observations and recommendations regarding the initial draft of the policy. An initial draft of the policy sets out the context for the policy, provides a high-level analysis of the current opportunities and defines strategic objectives for the policy.
Finalisation of the policy and action plan is due to be completed in the coming months and it is my intention to have it published by the end of the year.
I thank the Minister for that update. For her information, the Committee on Social Protection, Community and Rural Development and the Islands paid a visit to Bere Island and the message that came out strongly was that there are great opportunities for people on the island. The remote working has a chance to be transformative and the quality of life there is second to none. The resilience and adaptability of islanders in general was acknowledged. Common themes across the islands are coming across. The provision of health services is a another significant one. In the case of Bere Island, it is the need for a 24-7 cover for their nursing services. Education is a significant theme and now that the islands allowance has gone, it is very difficult to source substitute cover because if one hears that at 8.50 a.m. that there is no teacher available at the school, one will have a hard time getting somebody in from wherever, in Cork, who may be travelling to Bere Island.
Childcare is a very significant issue also, as are housing and the cost of living, all of which feed in. Can the Minister give perhaps some broad outline and are those strands also being reflected in the island policy? Are these the kinds of common themes that we are going to see reflected in the final strategy?
I thank the Deputy. Indeed, I was on Bere Island last year and I managed to dial in remotely to attend a Cabinet meeting from there. I have to say that the hospitality I received was second to none. It is a lovely island. I met a representative of the island when I was at the annual general meeting, AGM, of Comhdháil Oileáin na hÉireann on Árainn Mhór only two weeks ago. All of the issues the Deputy has mentioned are the ones that keep coming up and the issues that were raised with me at the AGM. I am happy that because of the extensive consultation, those issues will obviously be part of this new policy on how we are going to address them. Housing is probably the biggest issue that I took from the meeting, in any event. I have not seen this draft policy yet. My officials have it and there are a few bits and pieces that are being attended to and they will be bringing it to me very shortly. We will have the policy and will get it published then as quickly as we can.
I also said to the islanders that while a great deal of consultation has gone on, this policy will be a living document and, if we need to change it is as time goes on, we will do so. The important bit for me is that we get buy-in from the different Departments because we cannot deliver it from my Department alone. My job will be to pull it all together, ensure it addresses the issues that the islanders have raised, how we look forward, but also to hold the Departments to account to ensure that they deliver on it.
I share the Minister's view that the hospitality on Bere Ireland was fantastic and we were made very welcome. However, I want to share one personal story. As the Minister knows, I have young children at home myself. I was talking to a young parent there and I asked about that spectre where, at 3 o'clock in the morning, somebody wakes up with a high fever. For me, that is a run into Caredoc. We bundle them into the back of the car and in we go to Caredoc. I was asking this parent what she does in her situation and she answered with a shrug. The nurse who is working on Bere Island is nominally not 24-7 but, of course, what happens at 3 a.m. if that child is running a fever? It is the nurse who receives the call. These are the kind of basic impediments that stop people living on islands - that basic level of service provision. All of us here want to see flourishing populations on our islands but I believe we need to provide that minimum level of service on islands that allows people to wake up at 3 a.m. and know where they are going to bring that child with a fever.
I fully understand how sometimes people are very isolated but I think there is an opportunity on islands, the same way as there is in rural Ireland, to embrace new technology. There is a really exciting project taking place on Clare Island, where they are looking at e-health and at how they can use new technology to enhance living on the islands. It is not easy. I have been there in the good weather but I cannot imagine what it is like in the wintertime. It cannot be easy. We want to support our island communities and I am very committed to doing that. I have been to a good few of the islands and I will continue to maintain that engagement and to keep those lines of communication open. I am happy to work with the islands. I know I will get the support of the Deputies in this House when we move forward with this policy to make sure it addresses those issues and that it is an ambitious policy. I launched Our Rural Future only a year ago and it has been a very successful policy. I want to see the islands policy in that same space.
