Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael)
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Gabhaim buíochas leis an Leas-Cheann Comhairle. Táim fíor-bhuíoch an seans seo a bheith agam an t-ábhar tábhachtach seo a phlé anseo sa Dáil anocht. Mo bhuíochas don Aire Stáit as a bheith anseo chomh déanach anocht agus tá súil agam go dtabharfaidh sí na sonraí ón díospóireacht seo don bheirt Airí, an tAire, Teachta Ó Riain agus an tAire Stáit, Teachta Burke.

Faoi láthair, mar is ionann an scéal don tír go léir, tá fadhbanna móra ag daoine óga sna limistéir Ghaeltachta i gCiarraí le cúrsaí tithíochta. Tá sé i bhfad ró-dheacair cead pleanála a fháil, tithe a cheannach nó a fháil ar cíos i ngach áit ach, go háirithe i gCiarraí thiar de bharr, ar an gcéad dul síos, na radhairc agus ansin an méid tithe saoire a bhfuair cead pleanála thar na blianta freisin.

Chomh maith leis sin, tá na praghsanna ar sheantithe ró-ard don chuid is mó de na daoine sa cheantar de bharr daoine atá ag teacht isteach chun tithe saoire a cheannach agus ón méid airgid atá ag dul le tithe téarma gearra ar an margadh anois freisin.

Idir 2015 agus 2021 ceadaíodh 101 iarratas pleanála i gceantair Ghaeltachta Chontae Chiarraí. San am céanna diúltaíodh 26 iarratas ach i nGaeltacht Chorca Dhuibhne, diúltaíodh timpeall iarratas amháin i ngach ceithre iarratas. Ní raibh ach diúltú amháin i nGaeltacht Uíbh Ráthaigh.

Níl a fhios againn cad iad na huimhreacha pre-planning agus na daoine a chuala ó na hoifigigh phleanála nach raibh aon seans acu cead pleanála a fháil agus dá bharr sin nach raibh aon iarratas curtha isteach ar chor ar bith. Bheadh na figiúirí an-tábhachtach i gcomhthéacs na díospóireachta seo agus chuir mé ceist ar Chomhairle Contae Chiarraí chun na huimhreacha sin a fháil.

Bhuail mé le déanaí le Breandán Ó Beaglaoich agus daoine eile ón ngrúpa Todhchaí na Tuaithe agus bhí mé ann leo i mBaile na nGall an tseachtain seo caite agus bhí mé ann leo taobh amuigh de na geataí seo i mí Mheán Fómhair nuair a bhí agóid acu faoin ábhar. Tá an grúpa seo an-bhuartha go bhfuil an teanga ag fáil bháis sa Ghaeltacht de bharr na ndeacrachtaí atá ag daoine óga tithíocht áitiúil a fháil.

Tá siad ag rá go mba cheart seans a bheith ag daoine córas traidisiúnta a úsáid le níos mó tithe a bheith ar shuíomh amháin le córas séarachais don ghrúpa. Bheadh sé ciallmhar agus praiticiúil cnuasach tithe a thógáil le chéile ar an nós traidisiúnta sa Ghaeltacht. Is trua é nach bhfuil aitheantas tugtha i ndréachtphlean forbartha Contae Chiarraí don traidisiún seo i gCiarraí thiar go hairithe.

Tá stádas speisialta ag teastáil uainn do dhaoine ón tuath atá ag lorg ceadanna pleanála ina gceantair dhúchais ach, go háirithe, do dhaoine a bhfuil an Ghaeilge acu sa Ghaeltacht mar tá an córas tithíocht sa Ghaeltacht faoi láthair ag teip, ag teip do na daoine áitiúla agus chomh maith leis sin don teanga.

Táim ag lorg freagraí ar na ceisteanna seo. Tá fadhb an-mhór ann agus tá a lán daoine buartha. Tá an Stát ag cur a lán airgid isteach sa teanga ach ag an am céanna níl na daoine áitiúla in ann fanacht ina gceantar dúchais agus tá an teanga ag imeacht leo freisin.

Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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I am taking this question on behalf of the Minster of State, Deputy Peter Burke. If I had known Deputy Griffin was going to speak entirely in Irish, I would have asked the departmental officials to have the courtesy to give the response in Irish.

Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael)
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That is okay.

Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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However, the reply I have received is in English and I will deliver it as such. On behalf of the Minister of State, I thank Deputy Griffin for raising this issue. The Minister of State welcomes this opportunity to update Members on work currently under way within the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage on this important issue. First, I want to outline the context and policy framework that underpin this work. The ongoing implementation of the language planning process has a statutory footing under the Gaeltacht Act 2012, which is the primary driver in support of the commitment to the achievement of the objectives set out in the 20-Year Strategy for the Irish Language 2010 to 2030. The national planning framework, NPF, reflects this commitment. In particular, national policy objective No. 29 "supports the implementation of language plans in Gaeltacht Language Planning Areas, Gaeltacht Service Towns and Irish Language Networks".

Separately, the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, sets out mandatory objectives for local authorities, which must be addressed in the drafting of their development plans governing local development policies. Section 10(2) of the Act, as amended, includes a requirement that, where there is a Gaeltacht area within the planning authority's territory, the development plan must include provisions and objectives for the protection of the linguistic and cultural heritage of the Gaeltacht, including the promotion of Irish as the community language. To provide further guidance in preparing appropriate policies, the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage published a document, Development Plans Guidelines and Development Management Guidelines for Planning Authorities, in 2007, which addresses this mandatory objective under the Planning and Development Act. The guidelines refer to linguistic and cultural heritage and the needs of the community in land use terms for housing, community facilities, employment, tourism and design, including advertising and signage. Individual development plans may also oblige applicants for planning permission to submit certain particulars or information to accompany development proposals in Gaeltacht areas, such as assessments of the linguistic impact of the proposed development, in order for it to be assessed against relevant policies of the development plan.

In August this year, the Department published revised and updated draft development plan guidelines, which reconfirm the obligations of planning authorities to the development of the Gaeltacht. Since April 2019, the assessment of all local authority development plans and local area plans is undertaken by the Office of the Planning Regulator, OPR. The oversight role of the office includes ensuring consistency with relevant national or regional policies, including those set out in the NPF, and addressing all relevant mandatory objectives for county development plans. It is important to note that the decision to grant or refuse planning permission or assign conditions to the granting of permission, including conditions relating to language where appropriate, is ultimately a matter for the relevant planning authority or An Bord Pleanála, as appropriate.

Officials from the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage have been engaging with the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media in regard to planning in Gaeltacht areas. In addition, several Irish language groups, including Conradh na Gaeilge, raised a number of matters with a view to improving the practical implementation of the Irish language provisions in Gaeltacht areas. On foot of this engagement between the Departments and the proposals put forward by Conradh na Gaeilge, the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage convened a working group during the summer to examine various aspects of the planning process in the Gaeltacht.

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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The Minister of State is out of time but she will have an opportunity to come back in.

Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael)
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Ba mhaith liom cúpla rud eile a rá. Is é mo thuairim go bhfuil seans iontach againn faoi láthair cuid mhór de na fadhbanna sa chóras tithíochta sa Ghaeltacht a réiteach, i gContae Chiarraí, sa phlean nua forbartha contae. Ar leibhéal náisiúnta tá a lán le déanamh againn freisin. Tá coimhlint idir an polasaí tithíochta sóisialta agus an polasaí teanga. Tá a fhios againn cad a tharlódh dá mbeadh an iomarca daoine gan an teanga ag teacht isteach sa Ghaeltacht gan aon intinn acu an teanga a úsáid sa todhchaí. Níl sé sin ceart agus caithfimid níos mó a dhéanamh ar an ábhar sin. Chomh maith leis sin, teastaíonn leibhéal caighdeánach náisiúnta uainn freisin do gach comhairle contae sa chomhthéacs seo.

Bhíos ag labhairt faoi seo sa Teach coicís ó shin. Caithfimid deontais a thabhairt do dhaoine atá ag iarraidh teach a cheannach den chéad uair agus iad a dhéanamh suas. Ba cheart dúinn an scéim help to buy a thabhairt dóibh freisin. B’fhéidir go bhféadfaimis buntáiste cánach a thabhairt do na húinéirí a dhíolann na tithe seo do dhuine atá ag iarraidh teach a cheannach den chéad uair, go háirithe daoine óga le Gaelainn sa Ghaeltacht. Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit. Tugaim cuireadh don Aire agus don Aire Stáit atá freagrach as tithíocht teacht ar cuairt go Corca Dhuibhne chun bualadh le muintir na Gaeltachta faoi na fadhbanna seo..

Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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It is important that I read out the last part of the reply, which relates to the various policies to which the Deputy referred. Membership of the working group established by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage is made up of representatives from the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Údarás na Gaeltachta and the relevant local authorities. The Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, is committed to working with the relevant stakeholders in the coming months with a view to agreeing practical improvements and best practice processes that will support and enhance the important policy and legislative provisions that are in place.

Separately, and to support and accelerate the work in train, earlier this month, Department officials met with the relevant officials in the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, and both Departments will continue to engage closely in this regard. The Deputy may be assured that the Department is committed to ensuring that procedures and systems will be tailored as appropriate, in co-operation with the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts Gaeltacht, Sport and Media and Údarás na Gaeltachta, to facilitate an effective and consistent approach by the relevant local authorities. Given the work that is currently under way, the ongoing engagement with the relevant stakeholders, the unique spatial and linguistic circumstances relating to each of our Gaeltacht areas, with local variations between communities, and the context in which the Irish language is spoken, the Minister is of the view that the relevant planning authorities are best placed to implement the planning framework of legislation, policy and guidance that has been outlined. He is satisfied there are appropriate planning oversight mechanisms and safeguards in place, which include the OPR and An Bord Pleanála.