Ciarán Cuffe (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)
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Question 63: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if he will report on his Department's participation at the European Small Island Network meeting held in Sweden in August 2006; and if lessons were learnt regarding Irish transport for permanent small island residents. [36893/06]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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The Transportation Network meeting of the European Small Islands Network (ESIN), which was held on the island of Gräsö, Sweden, on 22-23 August 2006, was attended by a senior official from my Department. The purpose of the meeting was to examine and compare the provision of transport services to small islands in a number of countries, including Sweden, Finland, Denmark, France, Scotland and Ireland.

The meeting afforded participants the opportunity to gain increased understanding of the varied approaches that pertain in the different countries and to learn from examples of good practice. Presentations were given outlining the current position in each of the participating countries and a series of workshops facilitated further discussion on particular aspects relating to island transport services.

I welcome the active involvement of my Department in meetings of this nature in view of the continued improvements that have been made to our island transport services over the past number of years. Through the provision of State subsidies and enhanced monitoring of contract delivery, our island communities now enjoy regular access services. Initiatives that I have taken recently — such as the capping of passenger fares for islanders on all island services and the halving of the Aran Islands cargo tariffs — have been widely welcomed and the planned introduction of additional cargo services to a number of islands will further enhance the quality of life for island communities.

I should add also that, in addition to participating in the ESIN meeting, my officials have had discussions recently with the Department for Regional Development and other interested parties in Northern Ireland in regard to island ferry services and they have also been in communication with officials from the Scottish Executive on matters of common interest.