Michael Collins (Cork South West, Independent)
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3. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government his plans for social housing on west Cork islands, such as Bere Island, Dursey Island, Sherkin Island, Whiddy Island, Cape Clear Island and Long Island, over the past number of years and in the years ahead. [60144/22]

Michael Collins (Cork South West, Independent)
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Social housing on the islands off the coast of Cork and elsewhere is a major issue. We have great islands in west Cork, namely, Dursey Island, Sherkin Island, Bear Island, Whiddy Island, Cape Clear Island and Long Island. I visit them on a regular basis because they form part of my constituency. One of the issues raised by community and voluntary groups when they meet with me is that there is no social housing for their people, which means they are not returning to the islands. I would appreciate it if the Minister of State would outline the Government's future plans for social housing on the islands.

Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party)
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My Department, under Housing for All, has set social housing targets for all local authorities. Cork County Council has a target delivery of 3,198 units over the period 2022 to 2026. The council's approved housing delivery action plan is published on its website, along with details of social housing needs for each settlement in the county. In 2022, Cork County Council has supported an approved housing body proposal from Carbery Housing Association for the development of six units, five one-bedroom bungalows and one three-bedroom house, and future service provision for three further plots on Sherkin Island. In addition, the council has supported the provision of two turnkey units on Sherkin Island, which are currently in the planning process.

The unique group of islands off the coast of County Cork have a discrete set of requirements due to their geographical location. The island communities, however, have an unparalleled reputation for resourcefulness in surviving daunting physical and economic conditions and have retained, and even developed, their unique cultural identity. The islands are an important part of the culture, heritage, economy and tourism appeal of the county. To reflect the importance of developing the islands, the Cork county development plan contains specific objectives directed at addressing their requirements, including supporting the islands, economic development of the islands, development proposals on the islands and uninhabited islands. Cork County Council has assured our Department that it will continue to monitor the demand for housing on the islands and will examine options for the direct construction of dwellings, if suitable sites become available, as well as seeking expressions of interest for turnkey developments countywide, including on the islands, on an annual basis.

Separately, but related, our Department is working closely with the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media on planning matters in Gaeltacht areas, which, as we know, includes Oileán Chléire. Our aim is to achieve a uniform and consistent approach to planning across the Gaeltacht regions to aid both planning authorities and developers to contribute to the language planning process and to protect the linguistic integrity of the Gaeltacht. I will come back to the Deputy with a supplementary answer on further points.

Michael Collins (Cork South West, Independent)
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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?

Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party)
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I reiterate that Cork County Council is the lead authority when it comes to the provision of social housing for County Cork, including the islands. I looked at some of the Central Statistics Office data on population change on the islands. There is quite a wide fluctuation between Bear Island, which has seen a reduction in its population, Long Island, which has experienced an increase, and Sherkin Island, which has had a slight reduction. Quite an interesting dynamic is taking hold. It is important for the local authority to take account of that.

It is also important, if there are opportunities for social housing, to reuse vacant dwellings on the islands that could be repurposed. The local authority should give consideration to that. Certainly, our Department is open to any proposals the local authority brings forward in that regard. There are opportunities the local authority should give consideration to in trying to attract families to live on the islands again.

Michael Collins (Cork South West, Independent)
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The Minister of State mentioned a reduction in the population of Bear Island and Sherkin Island. There has probably also been a reduction in population on Whiddy Island. The reason for this is that people do not have anywhere to live. People cannot come to an island if there is nowhere to live. Neither the Government nor the local authority have seen the need that exists. There is such a need. I am dealing with a person who lives on one of the islands. She applied for planning permission on her own family farm and was refused, even after spending €10,000. Imagine a person spending €10,000, an individual who wants to continue to live on the island and is entitled to do so, but has been refused planning permission. It is a shocking situation she finds herself in. She cannot get social housing and has been refused planning permission, apparently due to some bit of gorse, even though she sent all these reports in. This person paid for various reports along the way. There are similar situations on Dursey Island, where people cannot access the mainland and have not had fresh food for almost six to eight weeks. We have serious situations. The bottom line is the housing situation is one of the most serious because the future of the islands totally depends on housing, whether it is Bear Island, Dursey Island, Cape Clear, Whiddy Island or Sherkin Island. They need to have a future. There is no future in what the Minister of State said.

Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party)
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I reiterate that opportunities exist. Our Department will support any proposals that come in from the local authority. The west Cork islands integrated development strategy contains objectives for economic regeneration and the opportunity, in particular, to repurpose houses. There is certainly discouragement of building second or other individual homes at some points. There are also other sensitivities around ecology and Natura 2000 sites on the islands. These have to be taken into consideration. There is no doubt, however, that if the local authority submits proposals to get families living on the islands again, it is critically important that these are brought to our Department. The capital moneys are there. There is Croí Cónaithe funding and many other opportunities. From that perspective, the local authority has to be proactive in bringing forward proposals.

My understanding is that the issues relating to the cable car on Dursey Island are being resolved. It is critically important, from a broader perspective, that the Government is supportive of economic, social and environmental development on the islands. It is also important that local authorities are a big part of that process. Our Department will not be found wanting in that regard.