Cost of living subsidy promised as Ahern unveils islands policy

FIANNA FAIL committed itself yesterday to granting island inhabitants an allowance to offset the extra cost of living in remote locations.

Should the party be returned to government, about 3,000 people on 21 inhabited islands could benefit directly. The grant will take the form of a tax allowance for wage earners and an extra "island allowance" for social welfare recipients.

Party leader Mr Bertie Ahern said amounts had yet to be evaluated. They would represent significant payments but the overall cost to the Exchequer would not be very much.

Speaking after he introduced his party's new islands policy on Inis Mor, he said unfair costs justified the allocations particularly, the cost of transportation of food and other essentials.

"Cost of living on an island is very high because of high freight charges. Islanders are the only people who pay VAT on food, due to the fact that they have to pay VAT on the transportation of food and other essentials."

Islanders deserved special measures to bridge the gap between what people on the mainland took for granted and what islanders regarded as "gross neglect", he added. Specific measures to improve basic services such as health and education are envisaged. Implementation would be overseen by a new Department of Arts, Culture, the Gaeltacht and the Islands.

Differentiation between Gaeltacht and nonIrish speaking islands for grants and subsidy purposes is to be abandoned under the terms of the policy drawn up by Mr Eamon O Cuiv, the party's spokesman on the islands.

Ferry services to all islands, not just Irish speaking ones, will be subsidised under a Fianna Fail administration. The party is committed to completing a five year plan to ensure that every island has suitable ferry access and adequate landing points with helicopter service backup during winter months when they can be cut off due to bad weather.

The feasibility of extending the provision of airstrips, particularly to Tory, Clare Island, Inishturk and Inisbofin, "will be actively pursued", Mr O Cuiv said.

The policy advocates the extension of Udaras na Gaeltachta supported development organisations to all islands, while the development organisation's role in managing development projects on Gaeltacht islands would extend to non Irish speaking islands.

The policy was welcomed as acknowledging serious disadvantage by the representative organisation of island communities, Comhdhail Oileain na hEireann.