The Planning and Development Regulations 2001 contain a number of provisions aimed at protecting the language and cultural heritage of the Gaeltacht including promoting the Irish language as a community language.
Under Section 28 of the Planning and Development Regulations 2001 a Planning Authority must contact both my Department and Údarás na Gaeltachta for their views in relation to planning applications for developments which, in the opinion of the authority might materially affect the linguistic and cultural heritage of the Gaeltacht, including the promotion of Irish as the community language.
While my Department recognises that compliance with these regulations is a matter for the relevant local authorities, the Department, in the context of its remit in relation to Gaeltacht regions and the Irish language, undertook to formally write on a number of occasions - most recently in 2018 - to the seven local authorities whose jurisdictional area include Gaeltacht regions in order to remind them of their responsibilities in this regard, particularly in the context of the ongoing implementation of the language planning process which has a statutory footing under the Gaeltacht Act, 2012.
While my Department will continue, when requested to do so, provide observations to planning authorities in relation to such planning applications which fall within the ambit of the aforementioned regulations, the Department also recognises that the decision to grant or refuse permission in such cases - and indeed to assign conditions in the case of such planning applications where permission is granted - is ultimately a matter for the relevant planning authorities.
