Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 19 March 2026
331. Deputy George Lawlor asked the Minister for Housing; Local Government and Heritage the progress made in implementing Programme for Government commitments to introduce special development plans for Gaeltacht areas, including housing targets and planning guidelines applicable to Gaeltacht communities in Galway West; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21124/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Planning and Development Act 2024, which is being commenced on a phased basis, sets out the obligation for local authorities to prepare strategies and include objectives, which must be addressed in the drafting of their Development Plan, governing local development policies in respect of any Gaeltacht area. Where there is a Gaeltacht area within the planning authority’s administrative area, the development plan strategy must include objectives for “the protection of the linguistic and cultural heritage, including the promotion of Irish as the community language”. This provision of the Planning and Development Act of 2024 has now commenced and will be incorporated by the relevant local authorities when preparing new 10-year development plans.
Where a development plan sets out settlement-specific objectives in respect of any Gaeltacht area, a ‘Priority Area Plan’ under the Planning and Development Act 2024 will subsequently be required for that Gaeltacht area to guide its development, renewal or regeneration and to specify how the relevant settlement-specific objectives in the development plan are to be implemented.
There are a number of actions set out in ‘Delivering Homes, Building Communities 2025-2030 - An Action Plan on Housing Supply and Targeting Homelessness’, that support the delivery of housing across the country, including in Gaeltacht areas. Specifically with regard to planning guidelines, the Action Plan sets out the intention to publish a National Planning Statement in respect of rural housing in H2 2026, and a National Planning Statement in respect of Gaeltacht planning in order to protect linguistic integrity in H1 2027.
The preparation of these National Planning Statements (NPS) is underway, with the NPS on Gaeltacht planning being informed by the ongoing work of an Interdepartmental Group (comprising my Department, the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht (DRCDG) and Údarás na Gaeltachta). The draft NPS will set out national policy and guidance relating to planning for housing in Gaeltacht areas, including in particular with regard to the protection of the Irish language, that will be required to be applied consistently by planning authorities and An Coimisiún Pleanála in the performance of their functions under the Planning Acts. Having regard to the need to consider the complex matters involved and further to engagement with the DRCDG, a finalised draft Statement will be assessed for the purposes of Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) and Appropriate Assessment (AA), prior to approval by Government.
The ‘Development Plans Guidelines for Planning Authorities’ published in July 2022 already give guidance to local authorities, such as in relation to the preparation of housing strategies that have particular regard to the needs of Gaeltacht residents, and reflecting the Gaeltacht Language Planning Areas (Limistéar Pleanála Teanga), which are a separate designation under the Gaeltacht Act 2012 and relate to language planning, for which my colleague the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht holds functional responsibility.
