Ciarán Cuffe (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)
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Question 24: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs his views on the findings of the recent consumer survey on cost comparisons by a company (details supplied) between living on an island and the mainland; and if these findings will feed into his Department's policy practices on the issue. [36894/06]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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I understand that the findings of the survey referred to by the Deputy are to be presented to Comhdháil Oileáin na hÉireann (The Irish Islands Federation) for consideration. While my Department has received a copy of the survey, I consider it would be appropriate to await the views of An Chomhdháil as the representative organisation for all our inhabited offshore islands, before commenting on a survey such as this.

In regard to island development policy in general, I should point out that my Department has been at the forefront in recent years in bringing forward proposals and introducing initiatives designed to reduce the cost of living for island communities and enhance their lifestyle accordingly. Examples of practical steps that have been taken in this regard include:

reduced maximum fares for island passengers on subsidised ferry services;

50% reductions in cargo tariffs for the Aran Islands cargo service;

substantially increased New House and House Improvement Grants on Gaeltacht islands; and

dedicated assistance schemes for enterprise development on non-Gaeltacht islands.

Another aspect of my Department's work is the co-ordination of Government policy in relation to the provision of State services on the islands. Among the objectives achieved in this regard, which have had the effect of reducing the cost of living on the islands, are:

an extra €12.70 per week for old age pensioners and other categories of social welfare recipients living on the islands;

a special rate of €66 in respect of road tax and an exemption from the NCT for island based cars; and

a significant increase in the Remote Area Boarding Grant payable by the Department of Education and Science in respect of island children attending secondary school on the mainland.

While considerable progress has been made in dealing with cost of living issues, I can assure the Deputy that it is my intention to continue to examine ways of making further progress in this regard.