Seán Kyne (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I will start off by referring to the arts. I am aware that the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Deputy Madigan, and the Taoiseach published a €25 million package for the arts during the week. I do not have the details to hand but I will ask the Minister's office to send the Deputy details on that.

Regarding the vision for the islands, that is the plan that we launched on Sherkin Island. I believe the Deputy was present with the Tánaiste on the day of the launch. He has accompanied me on numerous visits to the islands. That is what we are doing. It has been much commented on that there has not been a plan for the islands for 25 years. That is why we initiated one. It is something the island community wanted and that is why we started the consultation process, which as the Deputy might imagine, was interrupted by the Covid crisis in terms of gatherings of people and social distancing. We could not conclude the consultation but it will hopefully resume as soon as possible.

I accept what the Deputy said about confusion. He asked when the islands can open up safely. The problem is I cannot say if islands will ever be able to open up safely in terms of Covid. As with anywhere else, there are inherent risks and that is why we are taking the advice of NPHET. As I understand it, it is meeting today to discuss the reconfiguration of the phases and it will provide advice to the Government. I accept that islanders would like certainty at this stage. Many of them were quite happy with the August deadline in phase 5, as was initially published. We want to get a new date as quickly as possible on that. I have put forward proposals based on conversations that I have had with islanders and within the Roinn. We submitted our own views to Roinn an Taoiseach and it is in consultation with NPHET, which is independent. NPHET will present proposals to the Government in due course, hopefully tomorrow.

We do not have a direct role in social housing. The relevant local authority deals with the housing needs of those currently living on islands. The issue will be examined and policies will be written in the action plan as well. The matter will be taken in hand. I accept that population maintenance on islands is important. I hope we will be able to look at the islands policy in the action plan that will be presented after that.

On the reopening, I know that people are somewhat confused. As things stand at the moment, based on the phase 5 advice, the full opening of islands is still set for 10 August. In terms of international tourism and people coming in, that is still the advice until NPHET has provided us with an alternative. It was NPHET that chose to put islands in phase 5 and keep them separate from the mainland. Many people were happy with that, but some were not. A balance must be struck. As I have said, we will take advice from NPHET when this matter comes to the Cabinet.