Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I pay tribute to Deputy Connolly for putting forward this motion. It is very important that the islands are an integral part of rural life and of Irish life and they should be treated as such. All the Members who spoke on the motion outlined the work that is happening and the value of the islands with which they are familiar. That is important in the context of this discussion.

The Minister of State outlined the positive work that is happening on the various islands in his summing up of the discussion but in doing that he highlighted the problem in terms of the islands. There is no coherent plan and there does not seem to be a plan for the islands. That is the real problem. Things are going well in Dursey Island because the DIT is working there. Something else is going well on Tory Island and they have pulled everybody together and something else is going well on the Aran Islands. However, what we need is a plan for the islands as a whole to ensure that the islands will continue and develop, regardless of who is the Minister or what is happening in this House. That is what is important. What we would want to leave from our work in this House for the whole country is that there would be a plan for the islands in place.

Deputy Pat the Cope Gallagher outlined the work that happened when Fianna Fáil was in power. It was good work but it depended on Fianna Fáil being in power and on Deputy Ó Cuív being the Minister. It now depends on the Minister of State present having responsibility for the islands, and that is the problem across the board. It depends on who the Minister is and on he or she having a particular liking for the islands. We should be drawing up plans that will happen and work, regardless of who is Minister and of which party or parties are in government. Our islands should be recognised for the value they have and that should be enough to make it happen, rather than hoping we get the right person in office as Minister who will fight for it to happen. That is the problem. It may be totally idealistic to be even thinking that is the way we should be doing things but I believe that is the correct way. If we leave this House having worked in that way we will have achieved something. The important point is that our islands should be developing and growing after all of us have gone from this House. That should be the measure of how successful we have been.

In his reply the Minister of State covered work that other Members mentioned has happened and that has been of value to the islands. Arranmore Island has broadband as part of an Eir advertising campaign. That is a sad reflection on all of us here in this House. That is what this motion is trying to get at. Our islands should have broadband as a right, not as part of an advertising campaign for a mobile phone company. That is the sad part of it. It is a tribute to the people of Arranmore Island that they went after it and now have broadband.

We got that and they have the broadband now. However, that is the problem. The people of Tory should have broadband. The people of the Aran Islands should have broadband. People all around the country should have it.

It should be a measure of our society how we treat, look after and help the people on the islands. I would have great time for anybody who lives on the islands. They have a struggle. They have a hard life. However, they make it work well, without any real assistance from the State - that is the sad part about it. That is what we are trying to get at. We are trying to make sure that in the future, regardless of who the Minister is, the islands will be looked after and could be of value for all of us. That will be a measure of all of our success. That is what is important. That is what this motion is trying to get at.

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