Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I appreciate the problems owing to Covid and that it has not been easy, but there is a serious background to this. "Serious" is not an appropriate word. Rather, there is a long background to the failure of every Government to provide a policy for the islands based on legislation. In September 2019, we tabled a motion in the Dáil that was accepted by the majority of Deputies. I believe the Government did not vote for it but accepted it regardless. As a result, a policy process was started. The 1998 planning framework referred to a policy. There was an interdepartmental committee in 1996. We are now back to having an interdepartmental committee. In the meantime, the population of the islands has declined seriously. Between the 2011 and 2016 censuses, there was a decline of 5.4%. This is in stark contrast to the Scottish islands, which have seen their population increase because of a strong and robust policy based on legislation.

Notwithstanding the limitations imposed by Covid, perhaps the Minister will focus on the urgent need for a policy based on legislation.

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