Press Release: Islanders get support from across the Irish & European Islands: Islanders on the nine non – Gaeltacht Islands that will be affected by the termination in their core funding to their community development offices, have received huge support from their colleagues across Europe. The European Small Islands Network (ESIN) is a network of national Island organisations from across Europe, comprising 1,400 Islands and 448,000 Islanders. A letter of support from the President of ESIN, Bengt Almkvist, and the National Chairpersons from the ESIN member countries, has been sent to Minister Alan Kelly. The letter states: Ireland is an inspiration (to the ESIN Islands) because of the enlightened way it has supported its islands. The decentralised Island Community Development Companies Offices stand out as a model of how to support small, vulnerable Island societies. It has come to our attention that the crucial core funding for these offices may be removed from five of the Islands, thus preventing them from continuing to function as enablers for their communities. Island communities have permanent geographical handicaps as has been recognised by Article 174 of the Lisbon Treaty. They are fragile socially and economically and deserve all the support they can get from their national government, at a time where it is harder than ever for them to compete equally with mainland communities. The ESIN members therefore urge the Irish government to reconsider this decision. At a recent press conference in Dublin, organised by the Irish representative organisation, Comhdháil Oileáin Na hÉireann (COE)/ Ireland’s Islands Federation, Islanders expressed their concern to members of the Oireachtas over the termination of core funding for the Community Development Programmes, which run the Community Development Offices on five Islands. Members of the Board of COE were supported by the attendance of Islanders from Donegal, Cork, Galway and Mayo who travelled to the meeting in solidarity with their fellow Islanders. Simon Murray from Inishbofin gave a detailed historic and present-day overview of funding and programme delivery on the non-Gaeltacht Islands. He explained that the termination of funding for the Community Development Offices, which act as a ‘one stop shop’ on the Islands, would have disastrous consequences. Mr Murray addressed the Oireachtas members directly, “You are the members of the Oireachtas at this moment in time, Government, opposition, Party or Independent, - all of you have a responsibility to ensure that not one more Island is depopulated in this country. Surely, this State must learn from the past and never, ever again allow the death of another Island.” He added, “To put it simply, who will then do the work on behalf of the Island organisations if they have to close?” John Walsh from Bere Island told the meeting about the work that has been carried out on the Islands by voluntary committees. “The committees have put years into managing Island Development Companies, which have done extraordinary work on behalf of their communities. The committees are fully trained to manage staff and budgets and have built networks across Ireland and Europe to ensure the sustainability of Islands. How can this work continue if there is no core funding to keep the Community Offices staffed and open?” Mr. Walsh continued, “The solution for the non-Gaeltacht Islands is very simple. Island organisations are calling on Minister Kelly, Department of Environment, Community & Local Government, to re-establish the Island Development Programme and fund it to meet the costs associated with managing the Community Development Offices.”
Posted on: Wed, 03 Dec 2014 22:23:51 +0000
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