Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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39. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the status of the work of the interdepartmental committee for the development of the islands; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50161/21]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 39 and 61 together.

Work is continuing on the development of the new Islands Policy. My Department is currently engaging bilaterally with relevant Government Departments and Agencies to discuss the issues raised by island communities through the public consultation process and to assess how they might be addressed. It is hoped that this element of the process will conclude shortly.

It is expected that the Interdepartmental Committee will convene again in the coming weeks to review progress and to continue its work in overseeing the development of the policy.

Whilst work has begun on preparing an initial draft of the policy, the draft is still at an early stage of development. It was initially envisaged that the new Islands Policy would be published this year, however I am conscious that getting the policy right is the real priority and this will be the guiding principle going forward. At the most recent bilateral meeting with the representative group for the islands, Comhdháil Oileán na hÉireann, members of that group stressed this point also. I expect the policy will be published during 2022.