Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 30 September 2026
94. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether consideration is being given to removing or revising local authority policies that place limits on the number of dwellings that may be constructed on family farm holdings. [69189/26]
View answerThe Government agreed a proposed policy direction for rural and Gaeltacht housing on 30 June 2026, enabling a proposed Draft National Planning Statement (NPS) on Sustainable Rural and Gaeltacht Housing to proceed to assessment for the purposes of Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) and Appropriate Assessment (AA), including any necessary associated consultation, which is required to be undertaken prior to its final approval by Government.
The proposed new policy approach seeks to provide more clarity and consistency across the planning system, by setting out standardised criteria for assessing local rural housing need and new guidance on language criteria for housing in Gaeltacht areas, including the introduction of a standardised approach to language competency assessments to prioritise Irish speakers. The proposed approach contains provisions that set out that rural housing policies within development plans should not be prescriptive in including numerical requirements and arbitrary caps or limits on new single rural housing, for example relating to limits on the number of dwellings that may be developed on a landholding within a rural area.
The draft Sustainable Rural and Gaeltacht Housing National Planning Statement (NPS) is now undergoing environmental assessment under the relevant EU Directives. In accordance with Section 26(4) of the Planning and Development Act 2024, where Strategic Environmental Assessment SEA and/or Appropriate Assessment AA are required; these assessments will be undertaken in accordance with the relevant legislative requirements, the draft NPS and the associated environmental documentation will be published for public consultation, and submissions will be invited before the Statement is finalised for Government approval and subsequent issuance by the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage.
When making a decision in relation to an application for permission, a planning authority is restricted to considering the proper planning and sustainable development of the area, regard being had to, inter alia, the provisions of the development plan and any relevant Ministerial guidelines, including the Sustainable Rural Housing Guidelines (2005) which remain in effect until they are revoked or replaced following approval of the new NPS.
