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

We do not have islands in Waterford but we have very similar pressures in our Gaeltacht community, Gaeltacht na nDéise, where there are those kinds of competing demands and many properties being used as second properties or holiday homes. There is a situation where people who want to live and work within their own Gaeltacht community find it extremely difficult to access housing because of the price and they are simply priced out of the market. On the rare occasion that a house comes up for sale, the property tends to be unaffordable to people who are working within the community. It is a very similar situation.

Something that jumped out at me was the issue of community groups not being able to access the Croí Cónaithe grant. A scheme that has worked very well in Waterford city is the repair and lease scheme, which would provide for social housing to enter into the mix. I do not know if that is something the witnesses have explored or investigated and I do not even know if community groups can access that.

I am struck that Dr. Cashman's five key recommendations are fairly close to a number of the recommendations in the action plan for Our Living Islands. He might comment on that.

I very much support Deputy Ó Cuív in the call for the remit of Údarás na Gaeltachta to be expanded to allow for that kind of community-based approved housing body, AHB, model. Údarás has the land, the knowledge and the expertise. However, as Ms Uí Mhaoláin said, it would be important not to forget the non-Gaeltacht islands. Deputy Ó Cuív suggested it would not be beyond the pale of possibility for the remit of Údaras na Gaeltachta to be expanded that slight bit to include non-Gaeltacht islands, although I am not sure if that is doable.

Have the groups investigated the repair and lease scheme. The witnesses might give us a bit of local context. Dr. Cashman presented in general but I know that the pressures on housing on each island are different. How does Inis Oírr compare to Árainn Mhór with regard to the specific housing needs that exist?