Victor Boyhan urges action on Gaeltoc and rural housing
Victor Boyhan raised the issue of house planning in Gaeltoc and rural communities and urged the Minister for Housing and Planning to allow native Irish speakers to submit and be granted planning applications to build single homes on their lands. He said practical steps and published rural housing guidelines with public consultation are needed, not gestures.
Call to the Minister for Housing and Planning
Victor Boyhan called directly on the Minister for Housing and Planning to take practical steps to permit native Irish speakers to consider submitting planning applications and, more importantly, to be granted planning permission to build a single home on their lands.
Examples of refusals and affordability pressures
He cited an RTE feature this week about a native Irish speaker born in Connemara who sought a three-bedroom house and was refused multiple times. He said people cannot afford houses in Gaeltoc areas at the prices asked and that this affordability gap is replicated across rural Ireland.
Demand for rural housing guidelines and consultation
Victor Boyhan re-issued a call for the Government to publish the long-promised rural housing guidelines and subject them to public consultation. He stressed guidelines must ensure sensitive integration into the landscape and include appropriate planning conditions.
Impact on active farmers and rural workers
He highlighted that active farmers and rural workers are sometimes prevented from building a home on their main place of work, calling that unfair and unacceptable. He said this situation is incompatible with Government data policy and requires corrective action.
Request for parliamentary debate and practical support
Victor Boyhan asked the Minister to return to debate specifically on rural housing and building houses in Gaeltoc communities, urging a move from symbolic gestures to concrete, practical support for people who want to build homes in rural parts of Ireland.
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Thank you. I want to raise the issue of house planning in the Gaeltoc communities and indeed in rural communities and I want to call on the Minister for Housing and Planning to take practical steps to allow native Irish speakers to be allowed to consider submitting a planning application but more importantly to be granted a planning application to build a single home on their lands and we have to be mindful of government policy in relation to the Gaeltoc areas. If we have no Irish speakers we have no Gaeltoc areas, if we have no Gaeltoc areas we won't have the provision and the supports for Irish speakers so it goes hand in hand. You may be aware that this week RTE featured a native Irish speaker born in Connemara, your native lands, who was seeking a three bedroom house and made multiple applications and was refused on each one. People cannot afford to buy a house in the Gaeltoc area or within their price range, they can afford it but not within the price range that has been asked and therefore cannot provide a home and this is replicated all over rural parts of Ireland, this is unacceptable. The Government have continuously for the last ten years talked about new rural housing guidelines so today I am re-issuing that call to ask the Government to publish the rural housing guidelines and subject them to a public consultation. Because no one wants one of rural housing that isn't properly and sensitively integrated into the country and into the landscape and has planning conditions so that is important. There are active farmers in many parts of Ireland and rural Ireland too that are prevented from building a home on their main place of work. These are active farmers and they cannot build a home there and they cannot live there. That is unfair. That is unacceptable. It is incompatible with Government's data policy and therefore I am asking that something be done with that. So Minister what am I asking for? I am asking for the Minister to come in here because I think we need to debate specifically on rural housing and building houses in Gaeltoc communities because they need our support and I think we have got to stop talking about gestures and put in place practical support for people who want to build homes in rural parts of Ireland like the Gaeltoc where you live.
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