Marc Ó Cathasaigh (Waterford, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I wish to ask a wider question. Tá brón orm nach raibh mé anseo nuair a thosnaigh sibh amach. Bhí mé as láthair toisc go raibh an tUachtarán Zelenskyy istigh linn sa Dáil. Gabhaim buíochas leis na finnéithe as a gcur i láthair. It is interesting that sometimes a delay can play into one's favour because had an island strategy been delivered in January 2020 I think that we would now be dealing with a completely different landscape. The Covid crisis, for all of its challenges, has presented opportunities to rural Ireland and significant opportunities to island communities that are prepared to grasp them. In particular, remote working should now be a possibility if we have the broadband connection available. The same goes for educational options for children who live on the islands and health. If the island communities talk about themselves as potential lighthouse projects in terms of renewable energy then they should also be lighthouse projects in terms of the roll-out of e-health measures. They could be hugely significant in that regard.

The delay has helped and an island strategy that was delivered in 2020 would now be out of date. However, we need one and we must tighten the timelines. We had hoped to have the strategy in our hands before we, as a committee, completed this unit of work. This morning I spoke on Raidió na Gaeltachta about the fact that we hope to have a committee meeting on an island, which will be an historic event, but it would have been great to have the policy in our hands so that we were not discussing it in the dark. I ask the Assistant Secretary to outline the timeline and say whether she is confident that we will hit those markers.

I will now discuss interdepartmental workings and this week I submitted a parliamentary question on the subject. An issue that Deputy Ó Cuív has referred to repeatedly is interconnection in terms of energy, communications and water provision on the islands. We know that island communities are small and for that reason find it difficult to find representation and have a voice. I think that this committee has played an important role in amplifying that voice but it does sometimes feel like the silos are difficult to break. The Department responsible for islands is a small one and needs help. Its initiatives need to be integrated with initiatives that are run out of other Departments such as the Departments of Transport, Health and Education, and the Department responsible for energy. Do the witnesses feel that cross-departmental work and structures exist? Are there still too many silos? Do those relationships need to be improved in order to deliver for the people in island communities?