Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister, but the words "very soon" are very elastic, are they not? The 1996 interdepartmental co-ordinating committee on island development did not include representatives of the island communities and neither does the current committee. I see that it went out to communicate, but it was a fault from the start that an interdepartmental committee was set up that, of its nature, excluded island representatives. We then had the position that the committee was going out top-heavy to talk down. I hope that is not what happened in reality but that is the way the framework was set up. The island community had repeatedly appealed that it be an integral part of the design of the policy and where we are going, given the background. It is all in the documents I have before me. I only have ten seconds remaining, so I will not read it out. This is a positive story. The islands can show us the way in the context of sustainable development, but we need a comprehensive policy urgently. I ask the Minister to clarify the meaning of "very soon".

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