Seán Kyne (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Cuirim fáilte roimh chinneadh an Rialtais inniu polasaí do na hoileáin a cheadú agus tá súil agam go mbeidh an tAire, an Teachta Humphreys, á lainseáil an tseachtain seo chugainn.

I welcome today's decision by the Government to agree on the islands policy. It is something I launched back in November on Sherkin Island with the Minister, Deputy Coveney, Senator Lombard, as well as the President and others. This has been somewhat protracted because of the delays that went with it, which impacted the public consultation and direct engagement with islanders. However, it is a very important day and I look forward to the publication of it. I ask that at the earliest opportunity following its publication, we have a debate in this House with the Minister, Deputy Humphreys, on islands and islands policies. The most important thing is how we sustain the population of islands and what funding is put in place to ensure the islands are sustained.

I also welcome the official census results, which were announced today. Indeed, the population of Galway grew to 277,737 persons, which is more than 1,000 higher than the preliminary figures announced last year.This is important to the future planning of the region. The population grew by 19,679 between April 2016 and April 2022, which is an 8% increase. The average age of Galway’s population was 39 years, compared to 37.5 in April 2016. The number of people aged 65 and over continues to grow, increasing by 23%, which is indicative of higher longevity of people, to 42,886. Employment increased by 16,452 between 2016 and 2022. All these figures are interesting and I look forward to delving into them further both locally and nationally.