Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

Everyone appreciates that island and Gaeltacht communities face additional complications in recovering from the pandemic. Greater attention needs to be paid to the way our current and future responses to Covid-19 and the recovery can be adapted to support the islands. If the public health advice for the mainland is a phased approach and it is not for the islands, people in island communities will have concerns about that. We need regional measures that acknowledge the different conditions on islands and also in rural Ireland compared with urban areas. For example, if a business cannot open on an island simply because it is on an island, we may need to consider targeted supports for those businesses, including special VAT rates, a monetary fund and more flexible grants than the existing ones. Can the Minister of State provide clarity on how it is envisaged that the islands will be reopened and supported in the current challenging environment?

Due to time constraints a written response will be fine to my final question. This year, entire groups of secondary and college students will not benefit from the immersive experience of the Gaeltacht, for example, such as the one we have on Cape Clear, in west Cork. I am a perfect example of somebody who spent 14 years learning Irish every day in school, and there are many other people in the same boat. The best and most effective way to learn Irish is through immersion in those Gaeltacht communities. We can all acknowledge that they are essential when everything is taken into consideration. It is lovely to hear everybody speaking Irish in the Chamber; I envy them. Are there plans for alternative facilities such as online platforms or shorter stays in Gaeltacht communities during the spring if health advice allows them to continue? Can the Minister of State ensure that specific schemes will be put in place to make sure that Irish colleges can keep operating after this pandemic?