Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

15. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development further to Parliamentary Question No. 103 of 27 October 2022, the engagement that she or her Department has had with representatives of island communities in relation to the creation of an island-specific regional grouping for the purposes of the LEADER programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [62558/22]

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I am glad I have the opportunity to ask this question. I did not think I would, given the time restrictions. I will go back to the funding for the islands and recognising the islands as one subregional area. The Minister said she has had interaction with the islands and has brought changes but the islands have asked for that recognition. When the Minister brought in those changes, which I resume are positive, what interaction did she have with the island representatives? She should bear in mind that we had a packed AV room in November where they told us how important this recognition was.

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

As is the case with the current LEADER programme, the subregional areas for the new LEADER programme will correspond in the main with county boundaries. The offshore islands will continue to be included with their relevant county for the delivery of the LEADER programme. While an island-specific area is not provided for under the new LEADER programme, any group delivering the new LEADER programme in an area that includes islands will be required to include specific provisions such as island-specific actions with a ring-fenced budget and dedicated representation from the island community as part of the decision-making body. I have introduced these new requirements in recognition of the particular needs and priorities of island communities, and in light of the important role LEADER can continue to play in delivering real benefits for island communities. I am also satisfied that these new requirements will ensure island communities will have a direct and meaningful involvement in the delivery of LEADER on the islands. The expressions of interest stage to select the groups to deliver the next LEADER programme is now open, with a closing date for receipt of applications of 16 December. I encourage all interested parties to now submit their proposals to ensure we can continue to build on over 30 years of successful LEADER delivery across rural Ireland.

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Minister emphasised the changes made. What interaction did she have on those changes with the representatives of the islands? Is she telling me they are happy with those changes and have abandoned their campaign to be recognised as a subregional area? This is very important. During the presentation in the AV room, the representatives pointed out that they had been looking for this recognition for almost 40 years. The funding was upped for a specific period and then went backwards. They pointed out that islands are specifically mentioned as a separate entity in the European Green Deal, the just transition fund, the clean energy for the EU islands policy, the Memorandum of Split, the structural funds and so on, and Articles 174 and 349 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. The message they are giving us is that there are no obstacles to recognition from a European point of view in relation. The obstacle is due to the mentality here and the bureaucratic decision made to exclude them.

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Officials from the Department are in regular communication with island representative groups, such as Comhdháil Oiléain na hÉireann, and it is intended that this practice will continue. Department representatives attended the Irish Local Development Network, ILDN, council meeting, which was attended by Comhar na nOileán, on 2 September. Department representatives met with the chair and the CEO of Comhar na nOileán on 25 October. There has been engagement between my officials and the islanders. I am particularly conscious of the needs of islands. I outlined this earlier. There are specific requirements whereby, where islands are included in the grouping, they will have an important role to play. There is no island-specific local action group, LAG, but we are developing the islands strategy, as we discussed earlier. I am satisfied that the needs of the islands will be taken into account and will be delivered upon as part of this structure we are proposing.

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I know the Minister's heart is in the right place and I have recognised her commitment on record. My difficulty is that during the presentation in the AV room, the islanders told us it was absolutely essential to have the recognition as a subregional area and that alignment with the counties does not suit the sustainability of the islands. It is as simple as that. The interaction the Minister had was prior to this presentation. They made their views known in November and they have made them known to all of my colleagues and all the Deputies here. I ask the Minister to please not persist with this structure of funding. It is not to the benefit of the islands. There is no EU barrier. The barrier is somewhere in the minds here. It is bureaucratic. The Minister said the policy for the islands will be in her hands before the end of December and published next year. She might give me a date for that. It has to be funded properly. If the islands are not recognised as an entity, the funding is not fit for purpose. I am sorry but I have to disagree with the Minister on this.

Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

It is still not clear to me why the decision was made that the islands would not be afforded that specific stand-alone subregional area status, although I appreciate it was considered. In 2016, the European Parliament adopted a resolution on the special situation of islands. Through EU policy, islands are to be treated as distinct territories. That seems to be totally against what the Minister and the Department have decided with regard to LEADER. Why can the islands not be dealt with as one subregion, as recommended by EU policy? We saw the impact when there were county-wide budgets. There was minimal delivery for the islands. Some counties ring-fenced funding and one county made no allocation and ring-fenced no funding at all. There were no island-specific actions during that period of 2014 to 2022 through LEADER, despite the major challenges islands face. When those islanders came into the AV room, they acknowledged those important elements, as the Minister called them, but said they were not enough.

Mairead Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Deir an tAire gur éist sí le muintir na n-oileán agus tuigim go raibh sí i dteagmháil leo. An rud atá siad ag rá linne, go soiléir agus le tamall fada anois, ná go dteastaíonn LAG uathu féin. Ní hamháin go ndeir siad siúd é ach tá na grúpaí atá ag dáileadh amach LEADER faoi láthair ag rá go bhfuil siad sásta an obair sin a thabhairt go LAG ar leith do na hoileáin. Mar shampla, tá go leor obair shéasúrach i gceist ar na hoileáin agus tá sé an-deacair do dhaoine 50% de mhaoiniú a mheaitseáil. Níl an bealach atá LEADER á dháileadh amach ar an mórthír réalaíoch do na hoileáin. Sin fadhb ollmhór.

I understand the Minister has engaged with the islands and nobody is saying she is not doing so. However, the reality is the island communities are saying they need extra support and their own specific local action group, LAG.

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputies for raising their concerns. Alignment with the counties benefits some islands and there is no doubt about that. I was in Árainn Mhór and the communities there benefited not only from a roads programme but also from development under rural regeneration funding that came through, and was driven by, the local authority in Donegal. There is a fabulous theatre on the shore. That would not have happened without Donegal County Council driving the project forward and making it happen. Certain stakeholders, but not all, have expressed a preference that the new LEADER programme would include a dedicated LAG for island communities. A dedicated LAG is not included in the model for the new LEADER programme. As I have said, island communities have particular needs and priorities and the LEADER programme can play a role in the context of the emerging national islands policy. The new structure we are looking at will include representatives of the island communities in the decision-making process of the LAG, which is an improvement. The LEADER strategy will include specific actions to cater for the challenges faced by island communities.

LEADER is only one part of the jigsaw. There are many other funding sources. I want to see the islands benefit from that and I am happy to work with them to ensure they get their fair share of investment from my Department.