New policy for the future of Ireland's islands
Although islands support a relatively small proportion of the population, they make an important contribution to the national economy, culture, and heritage. Picture: Brian Lougheed
THE re-opening of Ireland’s only cable car service, which crosses open seawater at Dursey Island in west Cork, was timed to perfection by Cork County Council.
It took place a day after Rural and Community Development Minister Heather Humphreys launched the Government’s long-awaited 10-year national policy for the 30 islands off the coast.
These islands with some 80 communities are cut off daily by the tide, are not connected to the mainland by a bridge or causeway, have permanent year-round populations and are not in private ownership.
A background note in the “Our Living Islands” policy document stresses that the inhabited offshore islands are an integral part of the fabric of rural Ireland.
Although they support a relatively small proportion of the population, they make an important contribution to national economy, culture, and heritage.
They are home to some 3,000 people and a destination for visitors, artists, and those interested in nature, history and a less hectic way of life.
More than 300,000 people visit the islands each year, generating estimated revenue of over €20m for the local economy from day trips alone.
The majority of Ireland’s inhabited islands lie off the western seaboard of counties Donegal, Mayo, Galway and Cork.
Their economies have traditionally been dependent on tourism, agriculture and fishing, but there are opportunities to diversify into alternative economic activity.
Island communities are adept at self-reliance, grounded in their separation from the mainland, and have a strong sense of community and identity.
One of these inhabited islands is Dursey on the scenic Beara Peninsula. It is serviced by a cable car, launched in 1969 by then taoiseach Jack Lynch.
With capacity for six passengers, the 374m trip across the water takes seven and a half minutes each way.
Traditionally, it carried both passengers and livestock. Transporting cattle ceased in 2012 but tourists and farmers continued to use the service.
The number of people availing of it rose from 12,000 in 2015 to more than 21,000 a year. But it has been closed for the past fourteen months for a €1.6 million upgrade.
Re-opening the service the day after the Government announced its plans for the islands put an added focus on the issues facing island communities generally.
The policy document agrees that access to the mainland is the most fundamental requirement for islanders.
Mayor County of Cork, Cllr Danny Collins, who performed the Dursey tape-cutting ceremony with county council chief executive Tim Lucey, said the cable car is unique and holds immense historical and cultural significance for the people of the county.
Ms Humphreys, speaking during a visit to Árainn Mhór island in Co Donegal, where she launched the State’s first islands policy in 27 years, said it contained 80 actions designed to support and empower island communities and their people.
It is all about improving housing, providing better access to essential services in health and education, delivering high-speed broadband, and further developing outdoor amenities, which will in turn increase tourism and support sustainable island communities.
Ensuring the islands have proper infrastructure in terms of water, roads and piers and supporting them to develop remote working facilities, ensuring people can live and work in their own community are also priorities.
The minister added: “As a result of delivering this policy, we will see more people living on the islands and more people working on our islands, with good career prospects, regardless of where their employer is headquartered.
“We will see islands contributing to, and benefiting from, the transition to a low-carbon economy and a climate-neutral society. And we will see our island communities, and especially young people, having an active role in shaping the future for their own islands.”
Agriculture and fisheries remain a key contributor to island economies and will be an important source of employment, according to the policy.
Agri-tourism makes it possible for the islands to develop their products and services, and to connect further with visitors through artisan markets and food experiences.
The document says the identity of the islands is inextricably linked with the ocean. Seafaring and fishing are an important part of their economies and heritage.
Traditional sea-fishing is undergoing changes due to the impact of Brexit and efforts to maintain fish stocks sustainably while protecting the environment.
But the policy says there is an increasing emphasis on opportunities in the broader marine or ocean economy to support development.
The document pledges that the Government’s forthcoming planning guidelines for rural housing will recognise the unique challenges that island communities face.
Noting offshore islands support an extraordinary range of flora, fauna and wildlife, it says slanders have worked with and respected their natural environment for centuries and will continue to do so.
Protecting ]url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/maintopics/biodiversity_topic-2855831.html] biodiversity[/url], promotion of wildlife and better protection of habitat is seen on many islands as essential to support sustainable tourism and to preserve the natural heritage of the islands for future generations.
Many of the islands attract visitors who have a particular interest in the wealth of biodiversity and wildlife the islands have to offer.
At the same time, the islands’ environments are fragile ecosystems and increased tourist numbers are having a significant impact on the ecology of several islands.
This is exacerbating relatively scarce water supplies, exposing an insufficient capacity in sewerage systems, as well as waste disposal and recycling capacity.
Regarding seafood, the document says the islands are surrounded by an abundance of marine resources and that fishing has traditionally underpinned the livelihood of many families.
Rising sea temperatures brought about by global warming will have implications in the future for the sustainability of existing stocks and for changes in the species of fish that can be caught or farmed off our shores.
Together with national authorities, it says fishing communities — whether on the islands or the mainland — need to anticipate and adapt to these developments and find opportunities which will strike a balance between protecting biodiversity and maintaining livelihoods.
