The government’s draft planning guidelines could potentially give precedence to applicants from Gaeltachts in other counties over locals for one-off housing developments in Connemara.
According to the draft statement, applicants seeking permission to build a house in the Gaeltacht would need to have lived within three kilometres of the proposed site for a period of five years if they speak Irish, and for a period of ten years if they cannot speak Irish.
The draft also introduces the principle of “Inter-Gaeltacht Recognition,” which would allow for “free movement of Irish speakers between Gaeltachts.”
Following the publication of the draft statement, local representatives in Galway West called for greater clarification on the proposed measures.
Speaking to the Advertiser, Fine Gael TD Seán Kyne said that he was still unsure how the three-kilometre rule would be enacted.
“So, the three kilometres is sort of slightly confusing. Yeah, so I mean, we don’t really know,” the Deputy said.
“Again, this would be something that would be a backward step in terms of planning in Galway and I suppose we’ll need clarity over the coming months in advance of the changes being enacted in total.”
The Fine Gael TD also said that from discussions with the Minister for Housing, the draft rules around “Inter-Gaeltacht Recognition” would apply only to those moving between Gaeltacht areas across different counties.
This would mean that an Irish speaker from a Gaeltacht in Donegal or Kerry would face less restrictions if applying to build a one-off house in the Connemara Gaeltacht than a local that did not meet the criteria under the three kilometre rule.
When asked directly about this, Deputy Kyne responded, “The rules for the inter-county movement would only apply to Irish speakers, that would be important to say initially.”
“But look, I mean, these things can be teased out in terms of the finer details and in advance of the coming into being in totality.”
Fianna Fáil TD John Connolly also spoke to the Advertiser and said that there was a need for clarity on certain aspects of the statement, but that it was his understanding that the proposed three-kilometre rule was aimed at holiday homes.
“What I heard the Minister say is that he has been receiving many complaints about the number of holiday homes in the Gaeltacht, and that they want to introduce stronger measures to prevent that,” the Deputy said said.
“He also says that this is a draft plan, that he is open to different opinions and happy to accept recommendations.”
Before the publication of the draft statement, the Connemara-based housing campaign group BÁNÚ had expressed concer over reports of the three-kilometre rule.
The group said that the proposed rule would have a negative impact on the status of the Irish language as Irish speakers from the Gaeltacht hoping to build one-off housing would face greater legal restrictions than those applying for permission in other rural areas.
