Danny Healy-Rae: Kerry residents blocked from building homes
Danny Healy-Rae spoke about the new planning framework and housing in Kerry, arguing local landowners are being prevented from building houses even when they supply their own funding. He criticised planning restrictions and the lack of funded water and wastewater infrastructure, and urged the government to fund Irish Water and build treatment plants.
Healy-Rae said people who own an acre outside towns such as Killarland - four or five miles out or seven or eight miles east - are being denied planning permission to build houses they would self-fund, and blamed what he called "urban-generated pressure" for the restrictions.
He said there have been no affordable houses in Kerry under the plan he referenced, and that people who want to buy their own home currently have no affordable options in the county.
He listed 38 settlements that need upgraded wastewater treatment plants and named Scotlandland, Cora, Castle Island, my van as places that cannot build another house because of these limitations. He also cited group water schemes and higher areas - Knights Mountain, Guinea, Gwyllier, Bernard and Nogna Seed and Castle Island - which he said are without water for much of the year.
He argued that blaming the Irish Water minister is misplaced because the necessary works are not funded, and called on the government to provide funding to Irish Water to deliver treatment plants and water sources so housebuilding can proceed. He concluded his remarks by addressing the minister and thanking the Deputy Mayor.
Local building restrictions
Healy-Rae said people who own an acre outside towns such as Killarland - four or five miles out or seven or eight miles east - are being denied planning permission to build houses they would self-fund, and blamed what he called "urban-generated pressure" for the restrictions.
Affordable housing in Kerry
He said there have been no affordable houses in Kerry under the plan he referenced, and that people who want to buy their own home currently have no affordable options in the county.
Water and wastewater problems
He listed 38 settlements that need upgraded wastewater treatment plants and named Scotlandland, Cora, Castle Island, my van as places that cannot build another house because of these limitations. He also cited group water schemes and higher areas - Knights Mountain, Guinea, Gwyllier, Bernard and Nogna Seed and Castle Island - which he said are without water for much of the year.
Call for funding and government action
He argued that blaming the Irish Water minister is misplaced because the necessary works are not funded, and called on the government to provide funding to Irish Water to deliver treatment plants and water sources so housebuilding can proceed. He concluded his remarks by addressing the minister and thanking the Deputy Mayor.
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Transcript
Thank you very much, Keogh Corle, Mr. Minister. People in Kerry are looking forward to the new planning framework and hoping that we'll deliver for them in what previous plans have not done. Because I'm talking about people who own land, not farmers, sons and daughters, they are being seen after, but there are others who own an acre besides their parents' house, four or five miles out from Killarland, seven or eight miles east of Killarland, they're still not being allowed to build. And, you know, we're talking so much about housing here every day. It's absolutely scandalous to think that people who want to build and they're asking for nothing, only just planning permission, no money or nothing, no funding, they build a house themselves, they're not being allowed. And all because of this significant urban-generated pressure pressure that has been thrown at them. People who want to buy their own house, there has been no affordable houses in Kerry. In the plan that he had, no, not one affordable house in Kerry. And sewer schemes and water schemes, we're totally ruined, Minister. 38 settlements need upgrading for treatment plants. And places like Scotlandland, Cora, Castle Island, my van, they can't build another house. Then we have group water schemes, places like Knights Mountain, Guinea, Gwyllier, Bernard and Nogna Seed and Castle Island, the higher areas who are without water for a lot of the year. We need to do something. You see, people are blaming Irish water minister, and that's wrong because they're not being funded. They can't do this work without being funded. And I'm asking the government, if they're real about building houses, they have to build treatment plants and provide water sources. And to do that, we need to fund Irish water to provide our services. Thank you, Deputy Mayor.