Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Is mór an onóir é dom labhairt ar an ábhar tábhachtach seo. Like many who were brought up in cities or towns, particularly as I was in the centre of Dublin, my experience as a 15 and 16 year old of spending summers in the Gaeltacht on Arranmore in Donegal was amazing. I have always viewed all of the islands that I have had the good fortune to spend time on subsequently as magical places. From my experience of speaking to their people in a personal capacity when visiting privately and as someone involved in what is now the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection under three Governments, it is essential to resource the islands adequately.

The Government is probably a little frightened of this motion. It is an open motion that speaks to the islands' incredible linguistic and cultural heritage, but also to their potential now that considerable advances in technology mean that their isolation, which was once such an elemental feature of island life, does not need to be the case in the same way as it was in the time of Peig. If there was investment, the islands could not only be a significant resource for the islanders themselves, but also for the rest of Ireland and the world. What this Government often lacks is the imagination to see potential and, as time passes, potential changes. I get the feeling from the Government that, in many ways, it sees the islands as a charge and a drag rather than as a positive opportunity.

In terms of biodiversity, the islands are a unique resource. We are in discussions with the EU and the UN about our international commitments in respect of various environmental plans. In many ways, the islands are a major source of biodiversity, for example, fishing and what is to be found on the islands themselves. The Government should have a little bravery, which is lacking currently, and seek to utilise this resource.

It is for the Ministers with responsibility to have some courage and provide structures that allow islanders to be seriously involved in plans concerning their islands. I have enough experience to know that every island is different and has its own views about how it should be developed. The GAA has a good slogan - "Give Respect Get Respect". The Government should give respect to the islands and the people who live on them. As a lecturer in what was DIT and is now TU Dublin, I had many students from islands right around the Irish coast. Although some ended up living away from the islands permanently, what was unique to almost all of those young people was that, although they lived away from the islands for ten, 15 or 20 years, they went back at a different stage in their lives to give their children an opportunity to experience the uniqueness of island life.

The Government lacks imagination about what is a unique resource for Ireland's culture, history and biodiversity. We should see the islands in that way. The Government might put up its hands and say that it does not have all the money at the moment, but it is possible to create, maintain and resource community infrastructures that provide islanders with a sense of empowerment and a connection with people in far off large towns and cities such as Letterkenny, Dublin and Cork.

There has been a large growth in various forms of tourism in Ireland, for example, walking, cycling and so on. The islands lend themselves to many of these important and modern tourism activities for people visiting the Wild Atlantic Way. The Wild Atlantic Way has been a successful concept. Of course, there are other islands around the coast.

People on the islands must feel respected by the Government and that their issues are viewed as important. I support the motion. For islanders, including young people, the issue of education is important. Parents have the same ambitions for their children about achieving as best they can in whatever it is they want to do. Obviously, the islands have tremendous fishing resources. We have fishing communities on various islands around our coastline and in the ports close to them. It is possible to draw up an exciting plan for the future of life on the islands.

Many of the islands experience difficult winter weather. Let us be honest - people like me tend to visit them when the weather is nice. That is the experience of most people who live on the mainland. With modern technology, islanders, including older people, can be resourced to improve and weatherproof their housing. It is possible to transform life on the islands. There are problems for older people in terms of medical services and other services that people require. It is a taxing job for anyone in government to provide the support that the islands need in order to make them viable and, in many ways, the jewel in the crown of many visitors' experience in Ireland.

The Labour Party supports this motion. It is possible to envisage a very good future for the islands. From a recent visit to Sherkin Island, I saw the collaboration between the educational initiatives on the island and TU Dublin, my old college where I taught for many years.

I think that has given tremendous opportunities to people-----

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