Cothrom caillte eile le plana crìonadh sluaigh

Tha e follaiseach gu bheil iad airson a bhith air am faicinn a bhith a’ dèanamh rudeigin, ged nach eil beachd aca dè, agus an uimhir a dhragh a’ tighinn bhon iomall mu àireamhan-sluaigh.

Às dèidh an fhoillseachaidh a chaidh dhèanamh leis a’ mhinistear Emma Roddick anns A' Ghearsadan Dihaoine ’s a chaidh, ‘s e a chanadh cuid ach: “Innis dhuinn ruidegin air nach eil fios againn,” leis na bh’ aice ri ràdh. Chan e faclan idir a tha dhìth, ach gnìomh agus san t-seagh sin, chan eil mòran ri innse.

Tha an aithisg a’ togail air an t-suidheachadh ann an Iapan a tha air nithean a chur air dòigh airson dèiligeadh ri crìonadh-sluaigh anns na h-eileanan aca fhèin, a’ coimhead ri obair na h-àrainneachd, turasachd, foghlam agus a bhith ag obair aig an iomall.

Ach, mar a tha an aithisg fhèin a’ mìneachadh, chan eil e idir soilleir an gabh eisimpleir Iapain a chur an sàs ann an seo ann an Alba.

Dè a-rèist ma-thà? Uill, chaidh £180,000 de dh’airgead fhoillseachadh eadar Earraghàidheal, a’ Ghàidhealtachd is na h-Eileanan Siar.

Thuirt Emma Roddick “gum biodh iad a’ coimhead ri stiùireadh ionadail airson nan co-dhunaidhean a dhèanamh a-rèir feumalachdan an t-sluaigh anns na sgìrean aca fhèin”.

‘S dòcha aig an ìre-sa gum bu chòirear leum gu Steòrnabhagh, far an robh Comhairle nan Eilean Siar a’ dèanamh cho-dhunaidhean mu choinneamh a' bhuidseit aca Dimàirt. Bha easbhaidh de £3 millean mun coinneamh, iarraidh mòr airson ùghdarras ionadail beag eileanach.

Aig a’ cheann thall, fhuair iad air a’ chùis a rèiteachadh le bhith a’ lorg £1.7 millean de ghearraidhean ann an seirbheisean agus £2 millean a thoirt às an stòras-sàbhalaidh aca.

Chan iad an aon chomhairle anns an t-suidheachadh seo, le tè às gach ceithir ann an Alba draghail nach fhaigh iad air na prìomh dhleasdanasan aca a choileanadh agus rabhadh nach bi e fada gus am bi comhairle a choireigin buileach briste bho thaobh ionmhais ann an ùine nach bi fada.

Thuirt ceannard Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, Pòl Steele, nach urrainn gabhail ris an t-suidheachadh-ionmhais, nach urrainn dha leantainn agus gur e an tuilleadh sheirbheisean a tha a’ dol a dh’fhulang.

Ged a fhuair iad a-mach às an staing le bhith a’ cleachdadh stòras nan sàbhalaidhean, cha mhair seo ro fhada agus gun ach £2 mhillean air fhàgail. Mar a tha cùisean, tha a h-uile coltas gu falbh e aig an-ath-bhuidseat.

‘S ann anns a’ cho-theacs seo a bu chòirear na faclan air crìonaidh sluaigh a’ mhinisteir a mheas agus an cleas gun tig na co-dhùnaidhean a dhèanamh aig ìre ionadail. Leis cho mòr ‘s a tha an roinn phoblach a’ fulang, cò bhios air fhàgail airson nan co-dhùnaidhean sin a dhèanamh, gun ghuth a ràdh mu dheidhinn sporanan gun sgillin ruadh?

English translation:

Even in the context of low expectations, the Scottish Government’s depopulation action plan, announced with the usual fanfare, was in terms of any meaningful contribution a rather damp squib, a missed opportunity, as reflected in the widespread criticism which came in its wake.

Clearly, there’s a political determination to be seen to be doing something, anything, in the face of real concern - even among senior SNP members - of the demographic change in remote communities, where we are witnessing a haemorrhaging of a working age population.

The comments by Emma Roddick, Minister for Equalities, Migration and Refugees, while launching the plan, would have felt like an echo chamber for those who have been trying to bring attention to this issue for years and are now simply seeking some kind of meaningful intervention.

What’s needed is not words, however sincere, but firm action - and on that front, it’s the old, to coin a phrase, hill of beans. As the cynic might say: Better people suspect your inadequacies than open your mouth and have them confirmed.

The accompanying report seems to draw in large measure on examples in Japan to reverse economic decline in their islands, focusing on net zero, tourism, education, and remote working, but as the report itself makes clear it’s far from certain whether these particular specifics will be suitable or even practical in a Scottish context.

So, what then? The only tangible element in the announcement was funding of £180,000 to be divided between Highland, Argyll and the Western Isles.

Ms Roddick said they would “seek to enable local leadership to make decisions relative to the population in their area”.

At this stage it may be useful to introduce a juxtaposition. On Tuesday, Western Isles Council met to agree their budget and were facing a £3 million deficit, a significant challenge for a small island authority.

In the end they balanced their books by identifying £1.7 million of cuts across a range of services and £2 million from their own reserves.

This is, of course, not a position unique to the islands council with one in four of local authorities in Scotland fearing they will be unable to fulfil their core functions and warnings that it is only a matter before one goes bankrupt.

Echoing the concerns of his colleagues, Western Isles Council Leader Paul Steele said the financial situation was “wholly unacceptable, practically unsustainable and will predictably and sadly lead to service failure”.

While they were able to balance their books on the back of using reserves, that well is rapidly running dry, with only £2 million left for them to draw on. It is likely to disappear at the next budget.

It’s in this context that Emma Roddick’s pledge of “seeking local leadership to make decisions” needs to be seen.

With the public sector already stretched to breaking point, just who is supposed to lead this depopulation decision-making at a local level, far less where any of the money for it is supposed to come?