Fianna Fáil would ensure the islands, the Gaeltacht, community and rural affairs are restored to senior ministry level if returned to government, party leader Micheál Martin has pledged.
High speed broadband delivery would be a key priority, while the party would also ensure public services in rural areas were “equivalent in quality” to those in urban areas, Mr Martin and his agriculture and rural affairs spokesman Éamon Ó Cuív have promised.
Marking publication of the party's "manifesto for rural Ireland" and islands strategy in Galway on Wednesday, Mr Martin and Mr Ó Cuív said current Government policy was "undermining rural communities".
They pledged ring-fenced budgets for rural infrastructure, education and health services, and an increase infunding – with a return to autonomy for Leader rural development programmes.
Leader programmes providing grants to small enterprises were centralised under local authorities more than two years ago, following a review by former minister for the environment Phil Hogan.
Mr Ó Cuív said his party would ensure that high-speed broadband was delivered to every home and business in the country, moving from the periphery to the centre or “from the outside in”.
Commercial companies preferred to work “from the inside out”, he noted.
Clár programme
The party would also restore the Clár programme funding for providing rural infrastructure such as water, electricity, health and sports capital projects and minor roads, Mr Ó Cuív said.
Mr Ó Cuív said his party had spent €100 million on infrastructure for the islands.
He noted that work worth no more than €4 million was required to complete this programme and avoid “huge migration” from the offshore islands.
He said it was “ironic” that one of the largest populated offshore communities, the Aran island of Inis Mór, had experienced two transport crises this year.
He promised to ensure every populated island had adequate transport links, to build piers on Inis Oírr and Inis Meáin and complete the airstrips connecting Inishbofin to Connemara.
Fianna Fáil would also fully implement the 20-year strategy for the Irish language which it had published in government in 2010, he said.
The party’s rural policy document promises a “community services guarantee” which sets “universal standards” on providing schools, health facilities, Garda stations and social services in all communities.
It promises to give self-employed people, such as farmers, an equivalent tax allowance to the PAYE tax allowance, and extend social protection supports.
This would allow the self-employed to “opt in” to making PRSI contributions for jobseekers’ benefit, illness benefit and invalidity pensions.
