Love island life? Only 29 do, even for €84k apiece

Conditions in Govt offer result in low uptake despite global publicity

- CLEMENT D'ART

A SCHEME to pay people up to €84,000 to move to sparsely populated islands off Ireland's west coast has attracted only 29 applicants despite global publicity.

The Our Living Islands programme went viral online when it was launched two years ago, generating headlines across the globe.

CNN, CBS and other American TV stations ran stories saying 'Ireland will pay you $90,000 to move to a beautiful island home'.

The programme was also picked up by Australian networks, the Times of India and Euronews.

The Department of Rural and Community Development was bombarded with emails from people across the world who thought they only had to turn up to collect the cash.

However, the "significant international interest" in the new policy dropped off massively when applicants realised there were conditions attached.

The grant was conceived by the Government as a means of stemming the population loss population loss on 30 islands off the west and south coast which are not connected by bridges to the mainland.

These include the Aran Islands, Arranmore and Tory off Donegal, Inishbofin in Connemara and Bere Island off Co Cork.