A dozen offshore island communities on the west and northwest coasts have cast their ballots in the 2016 general election, amid criticism of the lack of interest shown by most political parties in their future.
Five islands off Donegal, four off Galway and three off Mayo had a combined total of just over 2,100 names on the electoral register, but turnout was reported to be slow and low throughout much of the day – with a late evening rush in several polling stations. Galway West and East returning officer Marian Chambers-Higgins said the turnout was 25 per cent by 4pm on the three Aran islands and Inishbofin.
Mayo returning officer Fintan Murphy hired a rigid inflatable boat to collect the ballot boxes from Inishturk, where the station closed at 6.30pm, and from Inishbiggle and Clare island after 7pm.
Seven islands in the southwest vote today. The Irish Islands Federation, Comhdháil Oileáin na hÉireann, has asked why this could not be the case for all offshore communities. The federation said it was very disheartened at the low number of canvassers who travelled to islands and disappointed at the lack of awareness and understanding displayed by parties in their specific issues.
It noted that only two parties had made explicit reference to islands in their policy statements. It had examined all the literature available, noting that Fianna Fáil had a specific islands policy document, while Sinn Féin include the islands in its new deal for the west.
The federation said it was "ironic that Ireland, an island nation, does not seem to have the political will to support the islands as other European countries do".
“Politicians are fond of saying that the islands are very important to the country in terms of their beauty, tourism, culture, arts, heritage and natural resources, yet there has been little work over the past five years on serious sustainability issues,” it said.
It cited high-speed broadband, improvements to education, a ring-fenced annual infrastructural fund and unified healthcare strategy as examples. The federation warned politicians to “remember that time and time again, many a seat in Dáil Éireann was secured with fewer than 100 votes”.
