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

I move amendment No. 390:

In page 106, after line 39, to insert the following:

“Obligation to prepare Gaeltacht housing and population development strategy where planning authority’s functional area includes one or more than one Limistéar Pleanála Teanga or Baile Seirbhíse Gaeltachta in the Gaeltacht 47. (1) A planning authority whose functional area includes a Limistéar Pleanála Teanga Gaeltachta or a Baile Seirbhíse Gaeltachta within the Gaeltacht shall in consultation with Údarás na Gaeltachta prepare a housing and population development strategy for each of the Limistéar Pleanála Teanga Gaeltachta in their functional area which—

(a) assesses population and housing current and future needs of each Limistéar Pleanála Teanga to grow sustainably in to the future,

(b) identifies the spatial capacity of the areas of the Limistéar Pleanála Teanga to accommodate planned population,

(c) prioritises infrastructural investment necessary for housing development including traditional Gaeltacht settlement patterns, and

(d) adheres to goals in the language plan of the Limistéar Pleanála Teanga Gaeltachta and Bailte Seirbhíse Gaeltachta within the Gaeltacht to increase daily speakers of the Irish language in percentage as well as absolute terms.

(2) A housing development strategy prepared under subsection (1) shall be materially consistent with the housing strategy prepared under section 219.

(3) The housing development strategy shall include:

(a) population and housing growth targets for the Limistéar Pleanála Teanga for the period to which the development plan relates;

(b) the number of housing units permitted under existing permissions but not yet built and the expected timeframe within which those units will be completed;

(c) the number of derelict and abandoned houses that could be brought back in to use and included in targets of the strategy;

(d) targets for single unit houses on the land of persons from the Limistéar Pleanála Teanga;

(e) targets for the voluntary acquisition of holiday houses for reallocation as residential homes for Irish speakers;

(f) a statement, with accompanying tables and maps seeking to preserve traditional Gaeltacht settlement patterns—

(i) which estimates the land required to be zoned for residential use or a mix of residential and other uses to ensure that sufficient and suitable land is zoned,

and

(ii) which identifies land that is suitable for significant development for residential use or a mixture of residential and other uses over the period of

the development plan, including in particular an estimate of the capacity of each of the following to accommodate development for residential use or a mixture of residential and other uses during the period to which the development plan relates and targets as to the amount of housing to be provided within each of the following during that period:

(I) any long-term strategic development sites;

(II) any compact development sites identified as suitable for development for residential use or a mixture of residential and other uses;

(III) any greenfield site identified as suitable for development for residential use or a mixture of residential and other uses;

(g) identification of existing capacity, and planned investment in capacity, in transport (including, in particular, transport infrastructure), community facilities, water services, utility infrastructure and any other necessary public infrastructural facilities and services;

(h) objectives to secure the implementation of the housing strategy, in particular, any of the matters referred to in subsection (5) of section 219, including objectives requiring that a specified percentage of land zoned solely for residential use, or for a mixture of residential and other uses, be made available for the provision of housing of the types referred to in paragraph (f) of subsection (5) and subsection (6) of section 219 while also ensuring the strategy followed protects and adheres to the language plan of the area in particular to increase the number of daily speakers of Irish in absolute and percentage terms;

(i) objectives relating to the monitoring of the implementation of the strategy;

(j) objectives relating to such other matters as may be prescribed.

(4) The housing development strategy may—

(a) include specific objectives as referred to in paragraph (g) of subsection (3) in respect of each area zoned for residential use, or for a mixture of residential and other uses, and, where required by local circumstances relating to the amount of housing required as estimated in the housing strategy under subsection (6) of section 219, different specific objectives may be indicated in respect of different areas, subject to the specified percentage referred to in subsection (10) of section 219 not being exceeded,

(b) indicate in respect of any particular area referred to in paragraph (a) that there is no requirement for housing referred to in subsection (6) of section 219 in respect of that area, or that a lower percentage than that specified in the housing strategy may instead be required in order to counteract undue segregation in housing between persons of different social backgrounds.

(5) Nothing in subparagraph (i) of paragraph (c) or paragraph (g) of subsection (3), subsection (4), or section 222 or 230 shall prevent any land zoned for residential use or a mix of residential and other uses being developed exclusively for housing of the types referred to in paragraph (a) or paragraph (b) of subsection (6) of section 219.

(6) In this section, “greenfield site” means land that has not previously been built upon.”.