Mr. Tim Lucey:

Beidh mé ag caint as Béarla inniu and our Irish officer will deliver the statement as Gaeilge thereafter. Within Cork County Council, there are two distinct Gaeltacht areas, namely, Múscraí and Oileán Chléire. The county development plan is currently under review and has been prepared having regard to other national regional guidelines, including the Gaeltacht Act 2012 and the national planning framework and regional planning guidelines.

Regarding our current county development plan from 2014, the planning policy framework for the protection of the Irish language is currently contained in chapter 12, on heritage, and section 12.5 on cultural heritage. The plan acknowledges that Cork county has a rich and diverse cultural heritage, which is a significant asset to the county economically, environmentally, socially and culturally. The current plan aims to encourage the further development of those cultural assets to increase local awareness of our heritage and the cultural identity and promote the cultural tourism industry. A dedicated section is attributed to Gaeltacht and linguistic heritage under paragraphs 12.5.9 and 12.5.10. Specifically, they state:

Cork County Council recognises the importance of our linguistic heritage to the people of the County and to the cultural heritage of the County. Parts of Cork County lie within the Gaeltacht. These are Oilean Chléire, and an area to the west of Macroom and adjoining the Kerry boundary including Baile Bhuirne ... and Béal Atha an Ghaorthaidh ... commonly known as the Muscrai ... Gaeltacht. These areas require special treatment to protect their linguistic and cultural heritage without hindering development and with an appropriate response to opportunities and challenges. The challenge is to promote these areas as a focus for development, whilst ensuring that the development, which does occur, supports or complements the linguistic and cultural heritage.

The Development Plan policy approach for the Gaeltacht areas is based on the following principles: - The cultural heritage of the Gaeltacht areas, including the use of the Irish language, deserves fostering;

- An economically and socially vibrant community is a pre­condition for sustaining Irish as the community language of these areas;

- Recognition that the relationship between development and Irish language and culture is a complex one not amenable to simplistic measures, and also that planning powers have significant, though indirect and not unlimited, influence on the protection and promotion of culture;

- The [Cork Gaeltacht areas] are interdependent with the wider areas in which they are located. They cannot function, or be properly understood, in geographic isolation. The Gaeltachtaí should play their full part in the life and well being of the County, Region and Country, and likewise should benefit from the resources of the territory around them;

- An isolationist approach, or one, which puts unnecessary obstacles in the path of development generally, would, in the current context, be damaging to the long-term sustenance of Irish language and culture in these areas.

The specific policy objectives are listed under HE 5-3 in our submission.

I turn to what is proposed in the review of the current county development plan for 2022 to 2028. As part of our current review, submissions were invited at pre-draft stage in March 2020 on planning policy matters, including linguistic heritage and Gaeltacht areas. The framing of the new text and objectives in the draft plans has been informed by those submissions, in collaboration with the Irish officer and heritage officer. Appendix 2 of our statement provides more detail on that. The draft plan will also include a dedicated section within chapter 16, which relates to heritage, on cultural heritage. Specific details relating to the Gaeltacht and linguistic heritage are contained in a dedicated subsection under paragraphs 16.4.12 to 16.4.17. These include additional text on the Gaeltachtaí in County Cork and the specific settlements that are part of these two distinct language planning areas, namely, Oileán Chléire in the west Cork municipal district and Múscraí in the Macroom municipal district. Recognition is also given to the Gaeltacht service towns of Macroom and Cork city, and Irish language networks as designated under the Gaeltacht Act 2012. The draft plan from 2021 now considers the requirement for use of demanding linguistic impact analyses with planning applications for particular major developments. Under draft objective HE 16-22, as suggested by Údarás na Gaeltachta at the pre-draft consultation stage, this will apply in cases where the potential impact of the development on the use of Irish as a community language is not immediately apparent and pivotal in the determination of the application.

The expanded text and objectives in the draft 2021 plan are outlined as follows:

The Gaeltacht Act (2012) provides a statutory footing to the 20 Year Strategy for the Irish Language, 2010-2030 and also recognises Gaeltacht Language Planning Areas (LPT), Gaeltacht Service Towns and Irish Language Networks. Within Cork County, the Gaeltacht is divided into two Language Planning Areas: Oileán Chléire LPT off the coast of Baltimore, and Múscraí LPT which includes an area to the west of Macroom and adjoining the Kerry boundary including Baile Bhuirne, Baile Mhic Íre, Cúil Aodha, Ré na nDoirí, Cill na Martra, Guagán Barra, and Béal Átha an Ghaorthaidh. These areas require special treatment to protect their linguistic and cultural heritage. The challenge is to promote these areas as a focus for development, whilst ensuring that the development, which does occur, supports or complements the linguistic and cultural heritage.

Cork County Council recognises the importance of our linguistic heritage to the people and cultural heritage of the County. It also has an important role in the implementation of the LPT (Language Planning Areas) language plans, particularly as it relates to signage, service provision, and physical planning and development. In 2019 Cork County Council produced the Múscraí Conservation, Management and Interpretation Plan, which provides a holistic view of the heritage of this culturally unique area.

As a stakeholder in the development and preservation of the Irish Language, Cork County Council supports the vision of Údarás na Gaeltachta to “develop a vibrant, thriving, sustainable Gaeltacht community and economy and to strengthen and sustain Irish as the primary community language of the Gaeltacht so that the Gaeltacht is a world-class region.” [and] “To foster a sustainable Gaeltacht community where the Irish language is the primary language, with a strong economy utilising all available resources sustainably and with a first-class standard of living.”

The Plan recognises the narrow employment base of the Gaeltacht areas and the unique challenges they face. It is acknowledged that tourism can play an important role in the employment profile of the Gaeltacht communities focussed on its unique heritage including its linguistic tradition, musical and traditional craft industries within a spectacular landscape setting. There are opportunities to create greater linkages and synergies between the Irish speaking population of the County (44.9%) outside the Gaeltacht areas and the immersive Gaeltacht experience. Within the Gaeltacht areas there are also notable artisan food and craft producers which can also contribute to overall experience and package of cultural offer within both Oileán Chléire and Múscraí.

Gaeltacht Walks such as the Slí Gaeltacht Mhúscraí, have provided important tourism infrastructure within Gaeltacht Mhúscraí and the Plan supports the further expansion of walking and cycling routes within both Gaeltacht areas, including ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ infrastructure for outdoor adventure, sports, recreation, etc., that can enhance the tourist experience of the area.

The Development Plan policy approach for the Gaeltacht areas is based on the following principles:

The cultural heritage of the Gaeltacht areas, including the use of the Irish language, deserves fostering;

An economically and socially vibrant community with a high standard of living is a pre-condition for sustaining Irish as the community language of these areas;

Recognition that the relationship between development and Irish language and culture is a complex one not amenable to simplistic measures, and also that planning powers have significant, though indirect and not unlimited, influence on the protection and promotion of culture;

The Gaeltachtaí are interdependent with the wider areas in which they are located. They cannot function, or be properly understood, in geographic isolation. The Gaeltachtaí should play their full part in the life and well being of the County, Region and Country, and likewise should benefit from the resources of the territory around them;

Cork County Council will co-ordinate with Údarás na Gaeltachta in the implementation of the LPT (Language Planning Areas) language plans, particularly as it relates to signage, service provision, and physical planning and development;

An isolationist approach, or one, which puts unnecessary obstacles in the path of development generally, would, in the current context, be damaging to the long-term sustenance of Irish language and culture in these areas.

There are specific policy objectives in our draft plans to support those.

I will talk about zoning approach in the Gaeltacht areas. At a settlement level, the key villages of Béal Átha an Ghaorthaidh, Baile Bhuirne and the village of Cill na Martra have been allocated growth targets under the core strategy and additional text has been included in the draft plan, arising from submissions at a pre-draft consultation stage.

Oileán Chléire is dealt with specifically under section 226 in volume 2, part 2, of the west Cork municipal district plan. Additional text now reflects the completion of works on the development of a digital hub on the island, as per the Údarás na Gaeltachta submission. Updated text is also included to reflect the fact there are supports in place to maintain the island as a functioning Gaeltacht. Reference is also made to the fact Oileán Chléire's language plan has been submitted for approval to An Roinn Turasóireachta, Cultúir, Ealaíon, Gaeltachta, Spóirt agus Meán and has since been improved.

Further proposed amendments, which are now under consideration, arising from my chief executive's report of 24 September 2021, are as follows. A further round of public consultation on the draft plan resulted in a series of further proposed text updates to strengthen the policy framework on the Gaeltacht areas via amendments which are contained in the chief executive's report and are due to be considered by members as part of the statutory planning making progress. The submissions received are outlined in appendix 1, which was submitted to the committee, and the proposed amendments arising from those are outlined in appendix B of the longer statement submitted.

The current county development plan provides a dedicated section on the importance of placenames to the cultural heritage of Ireland. This is supported by reference to the council's leaflet, preserving our placenames heritage in the naming of new developments. The existing text and objective are outlined as follows:

Irish placenames are an integral [though often forgotten] part of the cultural heritage of Ireland. They are a valuable source of knowledge [of the past, giving meaning to the landscape and defining the relationship between communities and their physical environment]. Much of the thought, folklore, genealogy, religion, daily life and work of those living in and interacting with their landscape can be appreciated through [the study of placenames] ... There are over 5,600 townlands in the County and over 100,000 references to [Cork placenames collected by the Cork placenames survey or the Cork placenames archive].

Cork County Council has also produced a leaflet, preserving our placenames heritage in the naming of new developments. The purpose of this document is to encourage the use of existing placenames in the naming of new residential and other developments and there is a specific objective, from a planning perspective, which supports that. The draft plan 2021 continues to include this text and has expanded the section to include townland boundaries. I will not read through specific details of that. It is effectively a slight change to the referenced townland boundaries.

From a procedural perspective within Cork County Council, we have the following development management procedures in place: the Irish officer is available for translation of policy documents and development management applications, translators from the translators framework are used for larger translation projects and clear guidance documentation is also provided for all staff. Statutory bodies and agencies, as well as internal consultees, would be referred to as required on applications within the Gaeltacht areas. No specific conditions have been attached to permissions issued on Oileán Chléire or within Múscraí Gaeltacht in the last decade. Generally, an area planner assessing the planning application would have a degree of fluency in Irish.

There are no formal procedures in place for the assessment and processing of applications within the Gaeltacht areas of County Cork. While preservation of the Irish language within Gaeltacht areas does not form part of the council's scheme of letting priorities for social housing, it is an issue the council would have regard to in the planning and acquisition of schemes and a member of the development management planning team has to attend the Gaeltacht planning working group organised by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage in May 2021.

The housing department works closely with the two local approved housing bodies on nominations for both the capital assistance scheme, CAS, in Béal Átha an Ghaorthaidh and Baile Bhuirne, but the ten units at Cluain Réidh, Baile Bhuirne, were allocated as normal via the choice-based letting system. When the Cluain Réidh development was advertised, an extra line was added on choice-based lettings advising applicants that this development was within Cork's Gaeltacht area, if approved applicants wished to apply to live there.

Details of the scheme would also have been shared informally with Údarás na Gaeltachta which supports a number of local industries in the Gaeltacht area via the local authority's Irish officer and local councillors were also advised. Efforts were made to encourage approved applicants who had an interest in living in the Gaeltacht area to apply.

It was thought that this might attract people who might not necessarily be fluent, but who had an interest in learning the language or in educating their children through Irish in the local schools. However, interest was limited and all of the houses were allocated, but the majority of tenants came from outside Baile Bhuirne and were neither fluent nor interested in learning or speaking Irish.

There are three recent approved housing body developments in the Gaeltacht areas. Clúid has a ten-house scheme at Cluain Réidh completed in 2020. Comhlacht Tithe Sóisialta agus Forbairt an tSuláin has three houses in Baile Bhuirne under a CAS scheme under construction and Coiste Tithe Uibh Laoire Teoranta has three houses in Béal Átha an Ghaorthaidh, under the capital assistance scheme, completed in 2019.

This council also has a site in Baile Bhuirne that could accommodate 14 to 15 houses. Some preliminary design was done for an initial phase of ten, but it was decided to put the project on hold as there was limited interest in the Clúid development and the council was unsuccessful in attracting Irish language speakers to the scheme. With regard to Baile Mhic Íre, Baile Bhuirne, there are 30 families on the housing list, of which only one person has given an interest in the Irish language as the reason of his or her choice.

Demand under recent schemes has been low. There are 11 families on the housing list for Béal Átha an Ghaorthaidh and, apart from units for older people, only three units have been provided in the last five years. There is a table in our submission showing the offers made and refusals received in respect of social houses in the Múscraí area. These figures are not out of line with the rest of the county. Cork County Council has two properties on Oileán Chléire in its ownership. We currently have nine applicants seeking housing on Oileán Chléire, eight of whom are living on the mainland and one of whom is living on the island.

Moving on to planning permissions granted for housing, the summary in our submissions shows that, within the Cork Gaeltacht areas of Múscraí and Oileán Chléire, there were 148 grants of planning permission for individual housing units and developments of multiple units.

With regard to complaints in respect of the county development plan, the council acknowledges that a number of complaints about the plan and how the Gaeltacht areas are dealt with in different municipal districts were made in the media. Chapter 16 deals with the overarching policy in respect of the Gaeltacht areas and includes a dedicated section on Gaeltacht and linguistic heritage. The land use only approach for the lower order settlements of the Múscraí Gaeltacht villages and Oileán Chléire are included in the appropriate municipal district volumes. This council recognises the discontent expressed by people from the Gaeltacht in respect of State and local authority support, especially with regard to planning, houses and services, as shown through movements such as Todhchaí na Tuaithe. Cork County Council is involved with the wider working group and liaises with the Irish officers, planners and relevant practitioners in other local authorities. We continue to engage with stakeholders on how best to support the Gaeltacht communities. This includes collaboration with local Gaeltacht groups such as comharchumainn and Tuismitheoirí na Gaeltachta and with Údarás na Gaeltachta and local language planners. Cork County Council has also worked with the local group Acadamh Fódhla in Múscraí to produce the award-winning Múscraí heritage plan, which was approved by the Minister.