Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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53. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development if her Department plans to share the draft policy strategy for the islands with representatives as requested by an organisation (details supplied) to ensure island communities can engage with the policy development process and provide insights to the strategy focus; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49834/21]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The organisation referred to by the Deputy is the principal body representing communities from all the inhabited islands and my Department recognises that it has an important advisory role in providing input into the drafting of the new policy document.

In view of their important role, representatives of the organisation were invited to attend a meeting of the Interdepartmental Committee in June. During the course of that meeting the representatives provided the Committee with a valuable insight into the issues affecting the islands and stressed the importance of further consultation before the policy is finalised. In this regard the Interdepartmental Committee confirmed that they would continue to engage with them and an invitation to their representatives for further discussions with the Inter-Departmental Committee will be extended in due course.

I understand that the drafting of the policy is in its early stages, but I can confirm that the representative body will have the opportunity for further input into the process.