Dr. Conor Cashman:

It is an honour to be here today to speak to the committee about sustaining housing and communities on Ireland’s offshore islands. As the Cathaoirleach mentioned, I am joined by Máire Uí Mhaoláin and Nóirín Uí Mhaoldomhnaigh.

I will give a very brief opening statement to set out the research that was carried out by me and Dr. Siobhán O’Sullivan in the school of applied social studies in UCC. The research, as has been mentioned, focused on housing needs on Ireland’s offshore islands. It is important to state from the outset and to acknowledge the timeliness of this research in terms of the context in which it took place. Obviously, there is an urgent need to address identified housing needs on the islands. There is also an opportunity presented by the recent publication of the Government’s living islands national policy and the related action plan.

It is also important to stress from the outset that the research I and my colleague, Dr. Siobhán O’Sullivan, carried out, highlights that there is a strong wish by full-time residents and communities to remain living and thriving on the islands. There is also a clear cohort of people who want to return to or to move to the islands for the first time. In this regard, the research and the survey underscore how housing is crucial for both maintaining and expanding communities on Ireland’s offshore islands. While the housing situation on the islands is situated within the context of a wider housing crisis in Ireland generally, the needs, preferences and experiences set out in the upcoming report highlight that a failure to address housing needs on the islands represents an existential threat to the continuity of sustainable communities on those islands.

We can talk a bit more about the report in a few moments if members want to ask specific questions, but I will highlight some key points. A total of 611 people participated in the survey, which was done online, and 60% of all survey respondents were full-time residents on the Irish offshore islands. Second homeowners accounted for 21% of total responses received, while 13% of respondents had previously lived on the islands. Many of those indicated a wish to return to the islands. Then, 6% of the responses were from people who needed to or wished to move to the islands full-time. Perhaps reflecting the population size of the offshore islands, the Galway islands region accounted for 44% of the responses received, followed by Cork at 31%, Donegal at 14%, and Mayo at 11%.

I am happy to speak, as will Ms Uí Mhaoláin and Ms Uí Mhaoldomhnaigh, about specific details, but I will highlight some key issues that have arisen from the survey and the draft recommendations we are putting forward at the moment. First, a key issue is that there is a lack of affordable and available housing. This is a significant issue that impacts respondents to the survey who wish to remain on or move to the islands. This is a key issue in terms of the cost and affordability of homes as well as their availability. There is also an issue around the lack of long-term, available rental accommodation. Renters are facing a particularly precarious experience and living situation on Ireland’s offshore islands, as is demonstrated in the report.

Another key point, and this is something we may flesh out more during the questions, is that the most popular or most preferred property and tenure type that survey respondents identified is in the form of a house that is owned outright or owned with a mortgage. There is a key point to be made here about the nature of affordability on Ireland’s offshore islands which needs to be discussed and tackled.

As I mentioned a second ago, the precarity of renters as well as the lack of long-term sustainable renting options are particularly obvious in the research I and Dr. O’Sullivan carried out. A total of 79% of renters in the survey stated they were likely or very likely to need to move in the next five years, and the majority of these people want to remain on the offshore islands. They want to remain living in their homes on the islands, but there is a significant concern expressed by renters about the security of tenure and about having to vacate their home due to its sale, due to the landlord requesting them to move out, or due to having to move out during the holiday season.

Another point to note is that there is a latent housing demand in addition to people who want to remain living here. There is also an interesting insight from the survey on people who previously lived on the islands who want to move back and people who want to move to the islands for the first time. It is interesting that language and culture are identified as reasons that people who did not live there previously are drawn to the islands. This is an interesting qualitative insight into the reasons that people set out.

Another key issue is the very strong support for schemes and initiatives that enable sustainable communities. These include in particular community-owned or island-run housing schemes that would address specific island issues, such as the conversion of derelict properties. It is a terrible phrase to use for housing but derelict properties are viewed as an untapped asset that could be used, particularly to accommodate people who have a long-term housing need on the island or, perhaps, young people who want to start families on the islands. Making planning permission more achievable and accessible is also highlighted by respondents. There is also support for rural resettlement funds and gateway housing.

The report contains a number of recommendations, which will be published shortly. When we were discussing recommendations with the group we wanted to ensure that the voices of survey respondents are heard and to grasp the opportunity provided by the islands policy that was published recently. A number of key recommendations emerged. Specific island metrics should be gathered so that we know what are the actual needs in each individual island region. Different island regions have different specific needs when it comes to housing. These should be monitored and identified through ongoing engagement with island communities and this should be maintained.

There is strong support for the creation of a community-led housing association or an approved housing body. This could be managed by communities on the islands. It could also be provided with the remit to provide affordable, gateway or sheltered housing options for full-time residents, new residents and essential workers. This might fit in with some of Ms Ní Shearcaigh's earlier comments. This is discussed in some detail in the action plan but the question is how to operate it. I will be happy to discuss this.

There is an important role to be played for island representative groups, such as Comhar na nOileán or Comhdháil Oileáin na hÉireann, to give input on the formation of planning guidelines. This is crucial in terms of people having an opportunity to set out their experiences and the issues they encountered with planning permission on the islands.

There is a need to have input on the implementation of policy on vacant homes, particularly with regard to identifying properties and the nature of such schemes that might be available to residents. Many people spoke about having difficulties in dealing with bureaucracy with regard to ownership and title of properties. As every good researcher would say, we need to have more research and ongoing research to make sure there is continuous engagement with communities on this point.

In the survey we included an open text box to allow people write what they wanted. People experience survey fatigue if they are asked many questions frequently. One person expressed hope that something comes of this survey. The person described themselves as a young adult and stated there is no housing available on the island that is their home. This person is speaking about housing, which as well as being an asset is also a person's home and this needs to be addressed. I thank the committee.