Michael Collins (Cork South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am delighted to have the opportunity to speak on this motion tonight. I come from the constituency of Cork South-West with its fair share of islands and peninsulas. I support the contents of the Independents 4 Change motion and thank them for bringing this debate forward.

The eight islands in west Cork, namely, Heir Island, Bere Island, Sherkin Island, Cape Clear, Whiddy Island, Dursey Island, Long Island and Garnish Island, offer fantastic activities and intriguing histories. They are known to be strung like jewels along the south-west coast of Ireland. I agree with the call on the Government to develop a policy for offshore islands in order that the communities there and back on the mainland can be cohesive and progressive. The Government needs to engage in meaningful consultation with the islanders. From my own clinics on the islands and along the coast, I know full well the issues that affect the islands on a day-to-day basis, which include transport and ferries to the island, the limited access to healthcare and general practitioner, GP, services, the declining numbers of inhabitants on islands due to the lack of infrastructure or strong communication links, such as network coverage and Internet access. This latter issue limits job prospects and educational opportunities for people living there whose parents and grandparents lived there before them.

These islands have unique assets and considerable economic potential. I commend the local tourism groups that work hard to promote and boost jobs in their local economies. The Minister and Deputy Burton have spoken about the arts degree course on Sherkin Island, which has been a stunning success for the island and farther afield. People such as Mr. Timmy O'Leary and others on Whiddy Island work hard to boost tourism in that region. However, there are issues on the islands that need to be tackled and addressed. When the school on Sherkin Island shut down, the efforts to which the islanders had gone to get young people to stay on the island were ruined because to date, there has been a failure to provide a chaperone to bring their children to and from the island. There is a lack of a residential nurse on Bere Island. What will happen in the event of an elderly person falling ill at night or a woman in labour or any type of emergency? This situation cannot continue. It is vital that a nurse be reinstated. There is a lack of social housing on islands like Whiddy Island, Cape Clear, Sherkin Island and Bere Island. Social housing on these islands would turn them around but it has not happened. There are many such situations and all this potential has been somewhat limited due to the inaction of successive Governments in implementing progressive and positive policies to help these islanders.

The 2016 census noted a decline in the population of offshore islands by 155 persons, a significant 5.4% drop since the 2011 census. This represents a serious challenge for the future of our islands.

The uncertainty regarding Brexit is another issue of concern to people living on our islands. Issues around our seas and fisheries policies also will have a detrimental effect on the communities if they are not ironed out.

I urge the Government to accept this motion in order to stop further economic decline across our islands from west Cork to Donegal, many of which experience the same issues every day.

See this speech in context