Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)

We did away with the means testing of remote area grants and increased them substantially. Since I became Minister, thanks to the support of the Minister for Education and Science and his predecessors, secondary schools now exist on Tory Island and Inishmaan. We have also helped with the provision of health services. There are doctors on the three most populated islands, Inisheer, Inishmaan and Inishmore. I could mention many other developments. One of the points of great interest is the island allowance that recognises the higher cost of living for pensioners on islands compared to the mainland. Capital and current funding has been provided. This year's Estimate provides 18%, on which I will not elaborate at the moment.

I have covered most of the questions raised on the islands. Other issues raised related to national air services and so on. No more than on the mainland, one cannot depend on one mode of transport on an island. Where islands have a sufficient population and are of sufficient distance from the mainland to warrant it, we aim to provide both ferry and air services. One service supports the other, rather than one taking passengers away from the other. What tends to happen is that more people use the services as they are more certain of getting back. A boat can always travel in fog because in such conditions the sea is calm. Air services can operate in almost any weather. The net effect on the Aran Islands is that both services have grown incrementally.