Cian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

I will speak to my amendments. Amendments Nos. 235, 237, 247 and 255 are about the regional spatial and economic strategies. Amendment No. 258 refers to consultation about new or revised regional spatial and economic strategies. Amendments Nos. 261 and 263 are about the preparation and revision of such strategies. Amendment No. 274 is about the publication and assessment of such strategies by the Office of the Planning Regulator. Amendments Nos. 280, 283, 286, 288 and 292 are about the issuance of direction by the Office of the Planning Regulator.

To give a concrete example about how planning and housing matters in a Gaeltacht area affect people, a study was done by the co-op on Cape Clear island of the housing situation. It analysed the - in its words -"catastrophic" population decline that has resulted in the school on the island being on the brink of closure and in an inability to recruit a qualified teacher due to the acute housing situation. There is also a problem with workers in other essential services nearing retirement; if there is not housing available for replacement essential workers, it could lead to a deterioration or collapse of an essential service.

According to the analysis of the island's housing stock, in January of this year there were 101 residential homes on the island, of which 52 were occupied by full-time residents and 49 were used as second and holiday homes. This has a particular impact on the full-time population and on the ability to keep services open. Compare this to the number of habitable houses in 1970. That number was 99, and in 1970 there was not such a high proportion of those used as holiday homes. While the housing stock in use by full-time residents in most communities has increased substantially since 1970, the number in use by full-time residents on the island has gone backwards. They are not arguing for a proliferation of housing all over the island but, because of planning failures, the limited housing stock they have is not available for full-time workers.

Out of that, they have done an analysis of the second homes and holiday homes and found that 23 are in low use in the summer only, whereas 26 are in use at various times throughout the year. They found recently that, as a result of the housing situation, three families have had to leave the island due to accommodation not being available.

I am just using Cape Clear island as one example of a Gaeltacht area where planning and the lack of regulation around it, as well as the lack of strong provisions such as I am proposing in these amendments, are potentially leading to essential services on the island collapsing. If the school closes, that pushes out other families because, clearly, they are not going to be able to get their children back and forth to school on the mainland by boat every day as it is not practical. It will push out more families if those essential services collapse. We have to bear in mind that those essential services have been in place for all of my lifetime and longer but now, due to planning failures, they may well collapse.

I urge the Minister of State to accept these amendments to strengthen the provisions to protect our linguistic and cultural heritage and Gaeltacht communities, particularly in regard to the regional spatial and economic strategies.