Nicole Ryan (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the opportunity to raise this issue, especially during Seachtain na Gaeilge. It is not just about planning or housing, but about Gaeltacht communities and the Irish language itself. Census data shows the number of daily Irish speakers in Gaeltachtaí has fallen from 69% in 2011 to 66% in 2022. This decline is not a coincidence. It has been directly linked to young people being forced to leave because they cannot build or buy a home in their own community. Groups like BÁNÚ and Misneach have warned that the Gaeltacht housing shortages, rigid planning rules and out-of-control rents are eroding the fabric of these communities. The Irish-speaking population is shrinking and yet, despite these warnings, the Government has failed to act on the issue.

Just one in five families is raising children through Irish. How can we expect the Gaeltacht to survive if people cannot live there? Our planning policies are driving people out. As someone who has lived in Carna in Connemara and is currently living in Baile Bhuirne in Cork, I have seen first hand the deep pride and commitment of Gaeltacht communities. They are places where Irish is not just spoken, but actually lived. Despite all the cultural richness they have, young people and families are being pushed out by planning systems that simply do not work. Local people struggle to build on their own land because of the outdated bureaucratic planning laws. Houses sit empty while families are forced to move outside of the Gaeltacht and the Gaeltacht guidelines, which were first promised in 2021, have yet to be published.

The Gaeltacht is being hollowed out from the inside out, not because people do not want to stay there, but because the system is not allowing them to stay there. Even those who want to move into Gaeltacht areas, integrate and contribute to the community also face planning roadblocks. If you are from the area, you cannot build. If you are not from the area, you cannot move in. The system is broken and it is killing the future of the Gaeltacht. Right now, we see no progress in the Gaeltacht housing guidelines despite years of promises. There has been a failure to invest in infrastructure. There is no public transport, no job opportunities and unreliable broadband. There have been no targeted housing supports to prioritise those committed to living through the Irish language.

We cannot keep talking about Irish language as if it is an abstract problem. It is happening right now and in real time. It is one of the biggest contributors to the failure of planning policy to support Gaeltacht communities. We need immediate and long-term solutions. What is the Government's immediate plan to overhaul the Gaeltacht planning regulations in order that families can stay and live in the community? What is the long-term strategy for Gaeltachtaí?