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Housing Provision

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 25 May 2021

Tuesday, 25 May 2021

Questions (279)

Martin Browne

Question:

279. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his views on the impact the 2040 planning framework will have on house building in rural Ireland; his further views on whether this is appropriate to home building in rural communities given the rising house prices and the worsening housing crisis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27873/21]

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Written answers

The National Planning Framework (NPF) is the national planning policy document providing overall strategic policy for the future development of Ireland. The NPF fully supports the concept of the sustainable development of rural areas and the need to ensure their continued function as places to live, work and invest in. The NPF seeks to encourage their growth and to arrest the decline of areas that have experienced low population growth in recent years. Chapter 5.3 ‘Planning for the Future Growth and Development of Rural Areas’ of the NPF features several specific National Policy Objectives (NPOs) that aim to support the overall rural and small town pattern of development in Ireland and deliver strengthened and diversified rural communities.

Importantly, National Planning Objective (NPO) 19 of the NPF aims to ensure that a policy distinction is made between areas experiencing significant overspill development pressure from urban areas, particularly within the commuter catchment of cities, towns and centres of employment, on the one hand, and other remoter and weaker rural areas where population levels may be low and or declining, on the other. NPO 19 is also aligned with the established approach whereby considerations of social (intrinsic part of the community) or economic (persons working full or part time) need may be applied by planning authorities in rural areas under urban influence.

Further, under National Policy Objective 18b my Department is committed to developing a programme with local authorities, public infrastructure agencies such as Irish Water and local communities for the provision of serviced sites for housing to attract people to build their own homes and live in small towns and villages.

It is noteworthy that there is strong delivery of new homes in rural areas nationally in recent years, with almost 26,000 rural house planning permissions granted in last 5 years. During that time, more than 90% of the number of rural homes permitted were built, comprising around one in three houses completed in Ireland between 2016 and 2020.

Updated Rural Housing Planning Guidelines are currently being prepared that will continue to allow for the development of homes in rural areas while also highlighting the need to manage certain areas around cities and towns in order to avoid over-development of those areas. I expect to receive an initial draft guidelines document in the coming weeks. Given the complexity of the issues involved, the need for environmental assessment and both internal and external consultation, I expect final updated guidelines to be available later in 2021.

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