Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)

I agree with the Deputy about the importance of housing. My Department works closely with colleagues in the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage across a range of areas. Officials in both Departments are in regular contact about a number of areas that cut into housing, including town centre first, local economic and community planning, planning for and the provision of housing for Irish speakers in Gaeltacht areas, input to the successor to the Our Rural Future policy, the local democracy task force, Dormant Account Fund measures and emergency response work, particularly around storms.

I have had three formal meetings with the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy James Browne, since my appointment, the most recent of which was yesterday. We have been discussing a number of key issues. A particular focus and priority for me is the planning and provision of housing for Irish speakers in Gaeltacht areas and to ensure that there will be provision for this in the forthcoming housing plan. We have been discussing how we engage on that. We have discussed the development of our new rural development policy, which there will be questions about later. We will be moving into the final stage of consultation on this in the coming weeks and I will engage with the House on that. We have also had engagement on emergency storm responses, the Údaras na Gaeltachta (Amendment) Bill 2024 and the role of that body.

Official in both Departments continue to engage on the Gaeltacht planning guidelines. The Minister and I have asked for this work to be accelerated. I want the guidelines to be published as soon as possible. We are also ensuring that the Department of housing is central in both the plan and the actions of the new Our Rural Future policy. We continue to work with the Department in its work on storm response. We have a number of proposals to bring forward in that space.

I will have further meetings with the Minister and he has also joined me, since the Deputy and I last discussed this, in meetings with BÁNÚ agus Tintéan last June. We had a very good engagement. Bhí crinniú an-láidir againn, idir mé féin, an tAire, an Teachta Browne agus BÁNÚ agus Tintéan faoi chursaí pleanála sa Gaeltacht.

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