Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I cannot say the feeling is mutual.

These amendments seek to further merge additional matters - as we have discussed some of this, members will have to bear with me - in relation to the Irish language into the context of development plans through strategies for sustainable development and regeneration, strategies relating to economic development, strategies relating to creation, improvement and preservation of sustainable places and communities, as well as settlement-specific objectives. We know the term "Gaeltacht" covers Donegal, Mayo, Galway, Kerry as well as areas in the counties of Cork, Meath and Waterford. Six of Ireland’s inhabited islands are also in the Gaeltacht. We have gone through a lot of the provisions of the Gaeltacht Act 2012 and under this process Gaeltacht communities within each of the 26 language planning areas and the three relevant Gaeltacht service towns recognised under the Act, are provided the opportunity - rightly so - with ongoing financial support to develop and implement language plans in overall support of the language community. We have the 20-Year Strategy for the Irish Language 2010-2030, which outlines an integrated approach to the language in which nine areas of action are specified. These include education, public services, legislation and the economy. The overall approach is to create a supportive framework containing opportunities in which Irish can be passed on in a natural way within the community and within households.

The planning system in Ireland also recognises the importance of the continued daily use of the Irish language, especially in our Gaeltacht areas. More work is needed there. We spoke about some local authorities having a greater emphasis on that than others but that needs to be an absolute priority within our counties that have Gaeltacht areas. I have engaged myself with chief executives and with planning officers in those counties. There is a whole host of wider societal, educational, cultural and sporting activities and programmes in place to support, promote and treasure the use of the Irish language. I recognise, as we have discussed, the role that planning policy has and how it can be employed to guide and assist planning authorities, including those with Gaeltacht areas within their functional areas, to consistently apply similar planning policies.

Section 46 of this Bill places an obligation on planning authorities to prepare as part of their city or county development plan, a strategy relating to the creation, improvement and preservation of sustainable places and communities. This includes, specifically, a provision relating to objectives for "the protection of the linguistic and cultural heritage, including the protection of Irish as the community language, of Gaeltacht areas in the functional area to which the development plan relates". This replaces a similar provision at section 10(2) of the current Planning and Development Act 2000.

The 2022 development plans guidelines give further detail on the mandatory objective for Gaeltacht areas based on section 10(2) of the current Act. An integrated language plan prepared under the Gaeltacht Act 2012 can include proposals for, among the other issues I have mentioned, physical planning and development. I am sure all members are fully familiar with the development plan guidelines which I have in front of me. These guidelines state that planning authorities should ensure that development plans have regard to the provisions of the language plan and include objectives to support the promotion of the Irish language in the Gaeltacht, in accordance with mandatory objective 7.6 of the development plan guidelines, which is detailed very clearly. This objective also states that development plans should include a comprehensive dedicated section for An Ghaeltacht that includes mapping and identifying the Gaeltacht area, or areas, and the accompanying policy provisions. In addition, the 2005 sustainable rural housing guidelines recognise that there will continue to be a need for housing in all rural and island communities. What we discussed earlier on, and I did not want to gloss over it, is the importance of moving forward with the priority area plans for the Gaeltacht and the islands. It will be a significant change within this and I had flagged that as something we will bring forward on Report Stage.

On further enhancing policy support for the protection and promotion of the Irish language, we have discussed the role of Údarás na Gaeltachta, the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, and a separate working group made of my own Department and the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Údarás na Gaeltachta and other relevant local authorities within Gaeltacht areas.

I will say that, noting the significant planning policy support already in place and work under way to further enhance this, I am genuinely of the view that the Bill as currently drafted strikes that appropriate balance between recognising the need to promote and maintain the use of Gaeilge with other equally legitimate planning considerations. However, given the extent of the issues raised by Deputies on the general matter of the Irish-language system, I will undertake a review, as I have said already, on Report Stage and will consider if any specific additional provisions are required, specifically around section 69, as mentioned, which is the islands and Gaeltacht areas on the special area plans. I will leave it at that for the moment.