Pat Gallagher (Donegal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Gabhaim buíochas don Independents 4 Change group a chur síos an tairiscint seo maidir leis na hoileáin amach ón gcósta. Tugann sé deis iontach dúinn ceisteanna faoi na hoileáin a phlé, go háirithe na fadhbanna agus na dúshláin atá acu i láthair na huaire, agus ar ndóigh tá a lán fadhbanna acu. Tá an-chuidiú de dhíth orthu. Níl sé furasta maireachtáil ar na hoileáin amach ón gcósta. Caithfidh an Rialtas agus na Ranna éagsúla gach cuidiú a thabhairt do na hoileáin seo agus na daoine a bhfuil ina gcónaí orthu.

I compliment my colleagues in the Independents 4 Change group for tabling this important Private Member's motion which Fianna Fáil will be supporting. The Government's decision to table an amendment and set up an interdepartmental committee has come very late in the day. It may have been decided at the aforementioned meeting held in Glencolmcille which was the only time in the last 11 months that the Minister of State visited County Donegal since he was appointed. He did not step into the Donegal Gaeltacht in all of that time. He breezed in and out. He got out as quickly as he could before any delegation could meet him. In the past Ministers of State with responsibility for the Gaeltacht, going back to the first one, Tom O' Donnell, and all of his successors, including me, Mary Coughlan and Dinny McGinley, were not only Ministers of State but were also considered to be Deputies for the Gaeltacht and the islands. We visited the islands and Gaeltacht regions on a regular basis. Immediately on the appointment of a Minister of State with responsibility for the Gaeltacht, he or she visited all of the various Gaeltacht regions throughout the country.

We might not have time this evening to debate the recent flooding in County Donegal, about which the Minister of State totally ignored us. We just received a text which read, "Sound". There was no communication whatsoever. What hope do the islanders have of communicating with the Minister of State when he will not even communicate with those who have been elected to represent them and the Gaeltacht? That is typical of the Government. I often wonder what it would do if it had an overall majority. We are there to try to assist it in the best interests of the country and have done so, but the Minister of State totally ignored us. I was on Árainn Mhor when he was Minister of State previously, with Deputy McHugh who was a Minister of State with responsibility for the diaspora at the time. We visited the road to the lighthouse which was in urgent need of repair. I said to both of them in a facetious way that we had better get back to the mainland soon because the lorries would be on the road the next day. To save embarrassment, some time afterwards, a small grant was made available to repair some potholes. However, the response was that as it was not a county road, nothing could be done. The scenery was beautiful and both Ministers of State were totally enthusiastic and said they would provide funding but none has been provided since.

Fianna Fáil has always recognised the special value and rights of offshore island communities. In government we have consistently supported the islands and those who call them home. We assigned responsibility for the islands to a full Cabinet Minister, Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív.

He was the first Minister responsible for both the Gaeltacht and the islands, and he was always available to visit the various Gaeltachtaí and the islands. I think of 2009, when we had the tuilte, particularly in the Gweedore area in west Donegal. Within a matter of days, the then Minister was there to inspect at first hand the damage done. He provided the necessary funds to repair bridges that were not on county roads. Now we have been told in respect of damage done to a bridge in the west Donegal Gaeltacht that the Government cannot get involved. Of course that is the responsibility of an Roinn Cultúir, Oidhreachta agus Gaeltachta and the Minister for Rural and Community Development, Deputy Ring, who at least came back and communicated with us.

The present Government and its preceding Governments between 2011 and 2016 very much neglected our islands and their communities, to such a point that the islands are under serious threat. The islanders are struggling. The public services are stripped down. There are declining populations, which have been mentioned. The decline in the populations is understandable. There was a decline of 155 between 2011, when the figure was 2,889, and 2016, when the census figure was 2,734, representing a drop of 5.4%. I am surprised it is not more. This demonstrated to us at first hand the challenges that lie ahead. We now find that, as a result of a Government decision and a proposal by the Minister of State responsible for the Gaeltacht and the islands, it has been decided, almost eight years later, that the Government is to establish an interdepartmental committee for the islands. How appropriate. The first meeting is to be held on 24 September, next week. The Minister might inform us later whether all the Gaeltacht representatives have been informed and invited. Who may attend? What is happening is typical. It is very obvious that there is to be an election in the coming months if the Government is trying to convey to the islanders that it has their interests at heart. The Government, including the current Minister, will be judged on its performance over the past seven or eight years.

We have had debates on this. My party is committed to the islands. It had a strong record of delivery between 1997 and 2011. It gave a Minister full responsibility for the Gaeltacht and the islands, under one Department. It provided €100 million for the infrastructural development of the islands and the development of comprehensive ferry services between the mainland and the islands. It saw the lowering of the pupil-teacher ratio on the islands and the provision of a social welfare allowance to compensate islanders for the higher cost of living. It provided for the annual infrastructure fund for the development of the islands.

This is looking back but, of course, we must also look forward. Our policy will focus on providing adequate State-contracted transport services providing full access to the islands. Having spoken to a number of representatives of all the islands, especially from my county as others can speak for theirs, I noted the one problem they all have concerns roads. I have to hand photographs of the roads on some of the islands, which I could make available. I am referring not only to conditions over recent weeks but also over recent years, including on Gola and the small islands, such as Owey, Inishbofin, Tory and Arranmore. All of these islands require funding. We are told there may be some funding available. Táimid i lár mí Meán Fómhair agus tá an t-airgead á cur ar fáil anois. Ba chomhair go raibh an t-airgead sin curtha ar fáil níos luaithe sa bhliain ionas go raibh seans na bóithre sin a dheisiú i rith an tsamhraidh.Maybe, however, there is another major project in some other part of the country that is not in Donegal that might require substantial funds between now and the end of the year. It could be a once-off project and the rest of the islands could be paying for this. This is wrong. It shows the Government has no interest in the islands and no rural development policies as far as the islands are concerned. All the Government is interested in is ensuring the success of other projects on which the Minister might have his eye. Perhaps he might tell us what projects he hopes will come to fruition and that would be used to ensure the money would not be returned to the Exchequer.

We recognise the traditional rights of islanders, including in respect of roads and piers. The Minister, Deputy McHugh, mentioned Project 2040. Reference was made to Inis Meáin and Inis Oírr and it is said there will be a major project for Magheroarty, which is not an island but which services Inishbofin and Tory. The project would recognise its importance. I remind the Minister in his absence that he made a commitment on Raidió na Gaeltachta when he was Minister responsible for the Gaeltacht. He said Magheroarty breakwater, a major infrastructural project, was to be completed in 2020. It is not even on the drawing board yet, let alone in construction or planning. This is a cynical approach. The Government's representative in Donegal is good at making announcements but there is no follow through. It is very easy to hit the first golf ball but it is more difficult to get it right. We are hitting the golf balls all the time but no progress has been made. Thug an tAire, an Teachta McHugh, a fhocail ar RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta go mbeadh tonnchosc cé Mhachaire Uí Rabhartaigh ann sa bhliain 2020. Nuair a bheidh an tAire céanna ag tabhairt freagra ar an díospóireacht seo, b'fhéidir go gcuirfeadh sé in iúl dúinn cén áit a bhfuil an togra sin. Cé nach oileán é, tá an cé sin ag freastal ar Oileán Thoraí agus Inis Bó Finne.

Nuair a lua an tAire na hoileáin sin, níor dhúirt sé dada fadúda cé Reannaigh ar Oileán Árainn Mhór. Bhí díospóireacht agam leis an Aire níos mó ná bliain ó shin sa Teach seo ina ndúirt sé nach raibh Comhairle Contae Dhún na nGall i dteagmháil leis an Roinn maidir leis seo. Chuireamar in iúl dó i ndiaidh sin go raibh Comhairle Contae Dhún na nGall i dteagmháil leis maidir le cé Reannaigh ar an oileán sin. Níor lua sé é sin, fiú. Maidir leis na n-oileán eile i nDún na nGall cosúil le hInis Bó Finne, Inis Mhic an Doirn agus Inis Fraoigh, tá airgead de dhíth orthu go léir. Nílimid ag caint faoi airgead mór ach airgead réasúnta chun na bóithre a dheisiú.

Last year, we supported a Private Members' motion from Sinn Féin on fishing rights and island communities. We were glad to do that but it has now come to my attention that there will be a money order relating to this. That stops us in our tracks and means we cannot go any further. We are very supportive of this motion by Independents 4 Change. It was very cynical to suggest that next Tuesday there is to be a meeting on development, with so many attending from all the Departments and island communities. I wish the Minister well in his endeavours but it is a bit cynical coming at this late stage in the life of the Government.

Táimid ag tabhairt lán tacaíocht don rún seo maidir leis na hoileáin amach ón gcósta. Impím ar an Aire rud éigin a dhéanamh do na bóithre. Is féidir é sin a dhéanamh go luath agus an t-airgead a chur ar fáil díreach.

Tá Comhairle Contae Dhún na nGall réidh chun tús a chur leis an obair chun na bóithre sin a dheisiú. Maidir leis na céanna, tá súil agam go mbeidh scéal anocht maidir le cé Reannaigh. Mar a dúirt mé go minic, tá an cé seo ar an gclár oibre le blianta fada. Tá sé in am don Rialtas seo déileáil leis. Ní fiú dul ar ais go dtí na blianta roimh 2011. Tá an Rialtas i gcumhacht ar feadh ocht mbliana anois. Tá sé in am aige rud éigin a dhéanamh fadúda seo.

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