Inter-departmental discussions are under way on the funding of development companies in the non-Gaeltacht islands, Minister for the Environment Alan Kelly has said.

He told the Dáil the discussions involved his department and the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, which had lead responsibility for the islands.

He assured Fianna Fáil’s Éamon O Cuív, who raised the issue, that both departments fully understood the importance of the community development infrastructure on the islands.

"I and my colleague, Deputy Heather Humphries, with whom I discussed this as late as this morning, will be ensuring that both our departments continue to collaborate to agree a workable solution into the future.''

Mr Ó Cuív said that the funding, which was in the region of €500,000 a year, would be available until March of next year. There were five community development companies, based on Clare Island, Inishturk, Inishbofin, Sherkin Island, with associated small islands in Cork and Bere Island.

He said he wanted the Minister to assure him the funding would continue after March and would be approximately the same, or perhaps a little more because of inflation.

Mr Kelly said he intended to ensure there was broad Government funding for the islands. But he did not, he added, think it appropriate to get into a specific identifiable figure.