Conor D McGuinness Demands Action on Gaeltacht Housing

Thank you Cathaoirleach. First of all, I'd like to start by asking the question to the speaker, this is a very important issue, and although this is a very serious issue, it's an important issue, but it's an important issue for the people of the Gaelic language, and as someone who has a background in the Gaelic language, who has a lot of experience with me, I understand the importance of this issue, and I know that it's very important for the people of the Gaelic language, Gaeilteachta, Gaeilteachta Ní Néaste, Barcláraige, and I have a lot to say about this issue, but I suppose the first question is that it's an important issue, and you don't understand how serious this issue is. My first question is for the Department of Housing, and it's really about, do you realise just how serious this existential crisis is for the Gaelic areas? What centuries of colonialism didn't manage to achieve, the state looks very likely within one generation to be able to achieve within 100 years of its existence, and actually if we're really serious about it, within a decade of this growing housing crisis. It's exceptionally frustrating when young people, the next generation of Gaeilgeoirí who will be brought up in the Gaeilteachta would like to be, when young families of my own generation cannot get a home in the areas that they come from, in the area that they want to raise their children in, and contribute to the next generation. What is the reason behind the delay for what was the Tróilín to Plannála Gaeilteachta is now the Rathas na Siúnta, is there a definite timeline for when that will be published, what level of consultation will take place, not just with relevant agencies who also need to be consulted with, but with the public in the Gaeilteachta areas? That's the first question. Thank you Deputy. As I mentioned earlier on, we're working actively on the draft guidelines for both, our draft national planning statement I should say, for both rural housing and in relation to Gaeilteachta areas, and obviously have been working on what would have been a section 28 ministerial guideline on both over the last while, and working with our colleagues in the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeilteachta on them. We absolutely do accept the urgency around these issues that are being discussed today, and it was very important for the government to include both of those national planning statements as actions in the Government's Housing Action Plan, for the reasons that my colleague Mr Gallagher mentioned earlier in terms of not only delivering homes, but also building communities in Gaeilteachta areas. I don't mean to interrupt, but just specifically the timeline and what level of consultation, including public consultation, will it include? Yes, so as I mentioned to Deputy O'Brien earlier, we're engaging with the Minister on the draft of both at the moment and with colleagues in Government, and then we'll provide and can keep the Committee updated as to the specifics around timelines, but the timelines for the publication of both guidelines is obviously set out in the Housing Action Plan, and in terms of further details of consultation and engagement, we'll keep the Committee updated. Will there be a public consultation? I would expect so, yes, but obviously we're urgently looking at the drafting of the national planning statements in the first instance. With respect, it wouldn't strike me as being particularly urgent, given where we are. The second question also for the Department of Housing is about measurements and data. Is there or has there been any data collected on the level of housing need, the level of demand in the Gaeilteacht, and is there anything on the level of delivery of housing in the Gaeilteacht? I mean, it would strike me that in consultation with your local authority partners you'd be able to assess that, but is that data available and to hand, and could you go through it if it is, please? I mean, the first point is to say that we acknowledge there's a housing crisis and it's all over the country. It's in the Gaeilteacht, and of course there are particular dynamics about the Gaeilteacht in terms of protecting the language as well, and we understand that, but our approach overall is to tackle the crisis as it's affecting all of the citizens. We are in the process of assessing what the housing need is, both on the social side, on the affordable side, for the next five years. We're running calculations on that, and the next step will then be to engage with the local authorities in the context of housing development action plans for each local authority, and as we break down into that level of analysis, then I would expect that as part of that will be an assessment of what the need is in the local authority area. So that analysis is for the next five years. Was there a similar analysis carried out for the last five years, and is that data available? I'd need to check with the deputy and come back with that only on a – I'm in the job two months, so I don't have history back for five years, but if there is such information, we can get it to the commission for sure. But, surely, you would have that information to hand in preparation for this meeting if it had been carried out. I am in the job two months, so I don't have history back for five years, but if there is such information, we can get it to the commission for sure. But, surely, you would have that information to hand in preparation for this meeting if it had been carried out. I would imagine that you would have prepared for this meeting by accessing that data if it existed. It will not be specific to the Gaeltacht. It will be local area specific. Okay. I think, with your indulgence, Chair, I think maybe a piece of information or a piece of advice to take away from this would be to have that data, because we are talking about a specific feature of the housing crisis, and it just beggars belief from where I'm sitting that that data isn't collated for the whole Gaeltacht. Thank you, Deputy Chair. Just to the Chair, it's all there on the system in Galway in relation to our housing need and the RAND assessment. There's a dashboard up on our website which tells you for each particular area at any given time. It's updated daily, so we know exactly how many people are required in Cunnamara North, Cunnamara South, Cunnamara East-West, and in Bailio Clare. That information is put in the context of the overall piece for Cunnamara. That's a different exercise, but in relation to social housing, that data is readily available. Thank you for the opening statement and submission. It was very detailed. There's a lot of information. I do accept that local authorities will have a lot of that information, but I think in terms of national policy and for a national response from government, I think that the Department of Housing really should have that data collated from all the local authorities and accessible to Minister and to the Junior Ministers, indeed in the Department, and to your colleagues in other departments in order to inform policy. That's the point I'm making, but I do take the point with regards to Galway County Council. Deputy, just to come back on that, the information flows between the local authorities and the Department are strong, so that is the data. Coming back to you was when we're looking at the next five years, what we're in the process of working out what those figures should be and what we need to do with the amount of money that the government has set aside for dealing with the housing crisis over the context of the National Development Plan. That's what we're still working through. Those figures still have to be finalised. When they are finalised, they'll be a matter for the public record. Thank you. Deputy Joe Coney? Thank you.