Michael Collins (Cork South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for outlining the plans for the islands. He mentioned Sherkin Island. I welcome any housing development on Sherkin Island because it is a great and busy place. The arts degree course there brings people back and forth every day, in addition to staying on the island. However, there are other islands, including, as I said, Bear Island, Cape Clear, Whiddy Island, Dursey Island and Long Island, where people are living, but there has not been a social housing programme for many years for any of these islands. From what the Minister of State said, I do not see, unless he has further news, that there will be any big plans for any of those islands. We need plans for the islands in question. New life is needed on them. People want to live on the islands. I visited Bear Island recently. It has many issues relating to the pier and so on, which, it is to be hoped, is an issue the council will address. One matter the islanders raised was housing. People who want to build and stay cannot afford to build and, therefore, social housing should be as easy to access on the islands as it is on the mainland. Why is that not the case?

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