Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am delighted that the Minister and Comhdháil Oileáin na hÉireann had an opportunity to give presentations. I welcome the fact that some progress has been made and that the Minister hopes for the draft policy to be published by the end of the year. It is important to put this in context. Some 24 years ago, there was an interdepartmental report which acknowledged what was needed and that those on the islands were leading the way but that we needed to back them. Notwithstanding the Herculean efforts of the islands to show us a sustainable way forward, 24 years later we have no policy and no underpinning legislation, unlike Scotland which has policy and underpinning legislation and where the population of the islands has increased. We need a policy. That is the most basic thing. We then need legislation to underpin that policy. Will the Minister comment on the issue of legislation?

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