Keira Keogh (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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16. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the current and planned supports for Mayo’s offshore islands, including Inishturk, Clare Island, and Achill Island; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [68006/25]

Keira Keogh (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Can the Minister outline the current supports available to Mayo's offshore islands, including Inisturk, Clare Island and Achill Island in the areas of transport, housing, health, education, digital connectivity and community development, the efforts that are set out for the planned initiatives and funding streams for these islands over the coming years, including measures to sustain population levels, promote tourism and protect the cultural and linguistic heritage of these areas?

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta as ucht an cheist seo a ardú inniu. As the Deputy knows, the programme for Government commits to ensuring that Our Living Islands, which the national islands policy, is fully implemented to support sustainable development for island residents. Our Living Islands is a ten-year policy for the whole of Government backed up by rolling three-year action plans so the Departments and agencies across Government will be held accountable. This is a policy supporting communities in all of our inhabited offshore islands, including those in Mayo.

My Department provides a range of dedicated supports specifically to our inhabited offshore islands with significant annual investment in subsidised transport services to ensure our island communities can avail of reliable, affordable, year-round transport services. In 2025, over €700,000 will be invested by my Department in support of the Mayo island transport services, including daily passenger ferry services for Clare Island, Inisturk, and Inishbiggle. My Department also provides dedicated annual funding of €152,000 each to the community development companies on both Clare Island and Inisturk, which represents a 26% increase in funding which I approved earlier this year. Separately, Údarás na Gaeltachta administers funding of over €113,000 to Comhlacht Forbartha Áitiúil Acla in addition to dedicated funding to implement the island's language plan. Last month, I attended the AGM of Comhdháil Oileáin na hÉireann on Clare Island where I also announced funding of €500,000 to complete an upgrade to the existing Clew Bay bike trail park on the island. Last Friday, I was pleased to announce core funding of over €60,000 for community power solutions on both Clare Island and on Inisturk, and as the Deputy knows, we are currently running a pilot scheme of TFI Anseo on Achill Island through Local Link.

These are just some examples of practical supports my Department is providing or supporting. The Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer, is working on these programmes in terms of my Department and the Department of Transport.

Keira Keogh (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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I am lucky enough to have been with the Minister on Inisturk when it got its new helipad and at the launch of TFI anseo, so I can definitely see all the improvements we are making. Last week the people there were very happy and they welcomed the likes of the solar panel to help their generator keep going. We know that, like all communities around Ireland, the islanders are particularly struggling with housing, childcare and access to jobs, given they are so dependent on tourism. The Minister has recently announced funding for the business case at Roonagh Pier. We can both agree, especially with Storm Éowyn and even recent storms that were not so bad on the mainland but were terrifying for the residents, we are not yet there with reliable year-round transport. The islanders, as the Minister knows well from their stories, struggle when their cars are at Roonagh and they have to go to Achill Island if ferries are cancelled. Can we look for a dedicated engineer to be assigned to those three piers, Roonagh, Clare Island and Inisturk around the breakwaters?

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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I am absolutely focused on Roonagh at the moment and at how we can invest in it to make it more reliable and to make it climate proof in the context of the very changing weather. We have been working very closely with Mayo County Council to progress this. At the end of September I announced funding of over €157,000 for Mayo County Council to commence the development process and I want to acknowledge the Deputy's work in that space too. This funding has enabled Mayo County Council to appoint consultant engineers to prepare a preliminary business case, including a strategic assessment for marine infrastructure improvement options. In early November, subsequent to that, Mayo County Council advised us of immediate risks to part of the pier as a result of the storm damage the Deputy referenced. A detailed survey has now been completed. They are compiling a series of recommendations. I assure the Deputy we will provide all of the necessary support and funding to Mayo County Council for the emergency works and also for the development of the pier into the kind of pier we need it to be.

Keira Keogh (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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That will be welcome news to the islanders and I know when we have one announcement we are always looking to the next announcement. Regarding the piers at Clare Island and Inisturk, when we arrived there the islanders spoke about the difficulty getting the ferry right up to the shore with sandbanks and different things. Even though we are progressing Roonagh, there will still be lots more work to do. I am sure that after that, there will be even more. I was struck by my visit to Clare Island where people talked about the struggles accessing housing, the reliability on the fish farm and the lack of a hotel given that it was difficult to sustain a chef on the island. We have much work to do. There were fears about the school closing down and lack of childcare. We are doing great work but they are depending on us to do more. I would like to come back at a later date and talk about TFI Anseo. I am hearing fantastic things from constituents. It would be great to see that rolled out even further.

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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I join the Deputy in praising the work of the TFI Anseo pilot. I thank the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, and Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer, for choosing Achill Island. I encourage people to use it because it is a pilot not just for Achill but for the entire rural community. It is Local Link on demand, effectively. We are very aware, and engage regularly, with Joanne Carroll and her committee on Clare Island and Sinead Cahalan and her committee on Inisturk. The two development organisations on Clare Island and Inisturk, along with Achill, do fantastic work. They definitely keep us aware of the challenges. It is important that we address those challenges within the framework of Our Living Islands but also through the process we now have. I welcome the process the island communities have with Mayo County Council where they meet regularly to discuss and action these things. I know from working with Deputy Keogh and our other colleagues in the county that we will continue to put pressure on Mayo County Council and as Mayo County Council submit business cases they will receive a very favourable hearing.