Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 16 December 2025
540. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to consider allowing native Irish language speakers to build homes in their own localities (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [72350/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs set out in Delivering Homes, Building Communities 2025-2030- An Action Plan on Housing Supply and Targeting Homelessness, we will publish a National Planning Statement in H2 of 2026 that will set out relevant planning criteria to be applied in local authority development plans for rural housing, based on the high level policy framework set in the NPF. The new Housing Plan also contains an action to publish a National Planning Statement for housing in Gaeltacht areas in the first half of 2027.
Section 28 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 provided that the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage could issue guidelines to planning authorities regarding any of their functions under the Act and planning authorities were required to have regard to those guidelines in the performance of their functions.
That section was repealed on 2 October 2025 as the planning system transitions to operate under the new legislative provisions of the Planning and Development Act 2024.
Section 25 of the Act of 2024 provides for a new form of planning policy and guidance known as a National Planning Statement. This provision was commenced on 2 October 2025 and therefore future planning policy and guidance from the Minister will issue to planning authorities in the form of a National Planning Statement. It is intended that existing section 28 Guidelines, which will continue to operate until replaced or revoked, will be replaced over time by National Planning Statements, along with any new guidance that the Minister intends, with the approval of Government, to issue.
Rural Housing Guidelines were last issued in 2005 as Ministerial Guidelines under Section 28 of the Planning and Development Act 2000. These Guidelines provide that people who are an intrinsic part of the rural community, on the basis of an economic or social need, should be facilitated in all rural areas. In areas under strong urban influence, the policy is to direct urban generated housing into cities, towns and villages. In a rural area suffering persistent and substantial population decline, the policy is to accommodate anyone wishing to build a house, subject to normal planning and environmental considerations.
Historically there has been a strong tradition of rural housing construction in Ireland, with approximately one-quarter of all delivery nationally for the last 30 years falling within this category. Rural housing continues to be an important component of new housing delivery with on average c.4,000-5,000 new rural dwellings being built annually.
Since the publication of the current Sustainable Rural Housing Guidelines in 2005 (which continue to have effect in addition to subsequent clarifications and national policy changes in the National Planning Framework) there have been important changes to our planning system. Most notably, obligations under European Directives and international agreements relating to the management and protection of the environment and adapting to and mitigating climate change have become more central to the operation of the planning system.
Updated policy direction and guidance in respect of rural housing, initially in the form of a section 28 Guideline which will now be reviewed and prepared as a National Planning Statement, is currently being considered by my Department.
The Planning and Development Act 2000 as amended, sets out mandatory objectives for local authorities, which must be addressed in the drafting of their Development Plan governing local development policies. Where there is a Gaeltacht area within the planning authority’s administrative area, the development plan must include provisions and objectives for “the protection of the linguistic and cultural heritage of the Gaeltacht including the promotion of Irish as the community language”.
The Development Plans Guidelines for Local Authorities published in July 2022 give further guidance to local authorities, including reflecting the Gaeltacht Language Planning Areas (Limistéar Pleanála Teanga – LPTs as required under the Gaeltacht Act 2012) as well as the inclusion of further policies such as ensuring that development proposals in Gaeltacht areas have a positive impact on the linguistic and cultural heritage that can be robustly assessed at planning application stage.
An Interdepartmental Group (comprising my Department, the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht (DRCDG) and Údarás na Gaeltachta) is still continuing its work in developing specific planning guidance for Gaeltacht areas. There is also a separate Working Group made up of both Departments and Údarás na Gaeltachta and the relevant local authorities with Gaeltacht areas. Interdepartmental Group and Working Group meetings took place in 2023 and bilateral Departmental engagement continued into 2024 and into 2025, with the most recent meeting taking place in July 2025.
Having regard to the need to consider the complex matters involved and further to engagement with the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht, a finalised draft National Planning Statement will be assessed for the purposes of Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) and Appropriate Assessment (AA).
