Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent) | Oireachtas source

All islands face challenges, the main ones being population decline, isolation and limited economic activity. Economic activity is usually limited to three areas - agriculture, fishing and tourism - but one of the biggest threats is the loss of population owing to limited work opportunities, especially for talented young people. In many respects, the islands are victims of their own success because with the powerful pupil-teacher ratio, many island children go on to third level, but when they come out of third level with their degrees, there are limited work opportunities to bring them back to the islands. What we are seeing, therefore, is a brain drain from the islands.

The islands have so many advantages compared to the mainland. Island communities are innovative, adaptive and self-reliant because they have to be. There is very strong community involvement. Successive Governments have failed to recognise this and support island communities that are struggling to survive. The failure has not been the result of a lack of goodwill. There have been occasional beneficial efforts made. I acknowledge that they are included in the Minister's amendment, but there has been a deep misunderstanding of the nature of the problems islanders face and how to fix them. I will give some examples.

Many policies implemented nationally can work well on the mainland, but they impact negatively on the islands and very often have serious repercussions. That is because island communities are small and isolated and do not have the range of services and skills the policies presuppose. I have three examples. Many smaller island communities cannot provide a crèche or preschool facilities simply because of the onerous training and qualifications now demanded. Another example is the provision of recycling and waste disposal facilities. Again, the legal requirements are extremely onerous for the small scale facilities required. Another example is the regulations that were brought forward for accommodation associated with Irish colleges. They have had detrimental consequences for island communities. Student numbers had to be reduced to almost unsustainable numbers. For many families, the summer colleges are their main source of income to sustain them throughout the year. The feeling is the new rules were brought forward to suit areas such as Connemara where there are large pupil populations during the summer months.

I believe the islands are great locations to pilot environmental and natural resources based innovations if the red tape issue could somehow be resolved. Time and again, islanders have to fend for themselves.

They are prevented from doing so by well-meaning legislation that imposes an impossible burden of compliance on them. Good proposals remain undone and problems remain unsolved.

The 1996 report of the interdepartmental co-ordinating committee, which is the latest published strategy on the islands, pledged to begin work immediately to get a programme of work up and running. Since then initiatives have been adopted on an ad hocbasis that are entirely insufficient to address the growing needs for action. Currently, there is no policy for offshore islands and that has to be rectified. Offshore and inshore islands differ greatly, not only from a geographical point of view, but also from a socioeconomic point of view and have to be treated differently.

We failed the Blasket Islands in 1954 when the islanders were forced to abandon their homes and we have been lamenting this loss ever since. In 2009, €2 million was spent buying land there with the intention of establishing the islands as a national historic park and developing sustainable tourism. The Minister at the time described the purchase as "a major advancement of the objective to preserve an important component of our national cultural, historic and linguistic heritage". The objective should surely be to preserve, protect and support the living island communities so that they do not become the next Blasket Islands. We have to be proactive rather than reactive.

In 2016, €250,000 was allocated to the OPW for phase 1 of the development of new visitor facilities on the Great Blasket Island. If that support had been there pre-1954, it would have enabled islanders to remain and those type of facilities would have developed organically. Every islander's fear is that his or her island would be the next Blasket Island. They do not want their homes turned into museums. We have living communities that need to be protected. Tory Island was in the same position. It would have been abandoned only for islanders, under an tAthair Ó Peicín, ensured that their isand communities survived.

Last April, Cork County Council was set to seek planning permission for an iconic €7 million project aimed at transforming Dursey Island, one of the countries most southwesterly islands into a tourist mecca. The 2016 census, however, showed that the island had four residents. The conclusion is that this was for west Cork, in the same way that the Blasket Islands project is for County Kerry. Those kind of investments can surely be better conceived. Islands are struggling to keep their primary schools open. Why not build centres on those islands that still have viable populations?

The island I know best is Cléire, where the comharchumann and the community have been very innovative and inventive. In the past five years they have leveraged the nearby iconic Fastnet Rock lighthouse into a major tourist attraction, with numbers increasing year on year. The tour has won many accolades, recognised by National Geographicas one of the ten best on the Wild Atlantic Way and by the Irish Independentas one of the seven wonders of Ireland but it is the only wonder that is not Government-funded. Cléire has shown the way so why is there not an urgent pivot of State investment in iconic tourism infrastructure towards island with living populations? Some €150 million is currently earmarked by Fáilte Ireland for immersive heritage and cultural experiences. What portion if any of that will be invested in our inhabited offshore islands?

There is an urgent priority regarding housing. Families and young children who want to live on the pristine environment of islands, with the excellent pupil-teacher ratio, are being priced out because there is a limited supply of housing on islands and there is competition from wealthy people for luxury summer houses. There is also an ability for one individual to own two or three homes on an island and leave them uninhabited. There is a need for a flexible housing policy through community associations and local co-operatives on islands. Closing an island school is the death knell because without children, they effectively become retirement homes.

Irish Water did major work on Cléire laying rainwater pipes and it had to redo the roads it had disturbed, which covered two thirds of the island. There was no joined-up thinking with the council, which is to repair the other one third of the roads. The infrastructure, equipment and workforce will have to be brought back. I just do not understand how this can happen.

We are all agreed on the need for a policy for all islands where the needs of islanders will drive the agenda. Who understands those needs, challenges and reality best but the islanders, not officials, some of whom have never set foot on an island or perhaps have spent an hour or two on a visit. Islanders must be on that interdepartmental committee to ensure that the policy is in line with their specific needs to enable the islands to grow and flourish.

We have the example of the programme implementation board that was set up to address the needs of the north inner city following the gangland feud and years of neglect. There were high-level officials from all Departments on that board but there were also two community representatives on that programme implementation board, so this can be done.

Ba mhaith liom aitheantas agus comhghairdeas a ghabháil leis an Teachta Dála Ó Conghaile agus a hoifig as an obair a rinne siad i gcomhair an ghnó seo.

History repeats itself for those who are unwilling to learn from the past. We can learn from past mistakes but it means acting now.

D'imigh na daoine amach chun na míntíre. Tá an Blascaod Mór ciúin anois, leis féin os cionn na taoide. Let there be no more islands silenced on the coast of Ireland. The best way to do that is to have islanders involved in addressing their needs.

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