Nicole Ryan (Sinn Fein)
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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 Local people struggle to build on their own land because of the outdated bureaucratic planning laws.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?

Christopher O'Sullivan (Cork South-West, Fianna Fail)
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I thank Senator Ryan. It is a really important issue. I am lucky enough to have a bit of Gaeltacht in my constituency in, for example, places like Cape Clear. I appreciate that this is an issue. The Senator backed up what she had to say with statistics on the number of Irish speakers. What I will outline here are the immediate plans in respect of tying in with the recent planning legislation passed by the Houses, and also the guidelines that are forthcoming.

The Irish language is the first official language of the State, as recognised under Article 8 of the Constitution. The language has a rich cultural heritage and continues to be an important expression of our shared national identity. The language planning process, provided for in the Gaeltacht Act 2012, is the primary legislative mechanism by means of which the objectives of the Government’s 20-year strategy for the Irish language from 2010 to 2030 will be achieved. It is a specific objective of the national planning framework to support the implementation of language plans in Gaeltacht language planning areas, Gaeltacht service towns and Irish language networks. In addition, section 10 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 requires that local authority development plans include objectives for the protection of the linguistic and cultural heritage of the Gaeltacht, including the promotion of Irish as the community language.

The development plan guidelines for planning authorities were published in 2022. Their purpose is to provide planning authorities with further practical guidance on the implementation of this requirement through the objectives of their development plans. Part 3 of the recently enacted Planning and Development Act 2024 provides for the preparation of bespoke priority area plans for Gaeltacht areas, while consultation with Irish language bodies has also been reviewed and improved. The new Act is to be commenced on a phased basis this year. My Department is carrying out necessary preparatory work in advance of bringing the legislation into effect, including the drafting of detailed secondary legislation.

To supplement the level of guidance available to local authorities, since 2022 my Department has been engaged in the preparation of new planning guidelines for Gaeltacht areas. As part of the preparation, the introduction of an agreed standardised language test for all or some of the occupants of new residential development, to be addressed as part of the planning process in Gaeltacht areas, is being considered in conjunction with the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media. The purpose of this is to create certainty and a level playing field through a consistent and fair approach to language testing, the aim of which is to protect and promote Irish as the community language in Gaeltacht areas. This may involve use of a system known as Teastas Eorpach na Gaeilge, which provides a series of general Irish language proficiency examinations and qualifications for adult learners of Irish. An interdepartmental group comprising officials from my Department, as well as the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, and Údarás na Gaeltachta, has been working to progress the development of specific proposals in this regard.

Cognisant of the need to carefully consider the complex matters involved, I must state that any finalised draft guidelines or a national planning statement prepared under the 2024 Act when the relevant provisions are commenced will be subject to mandatory screening under EU law for strategic environmental assessment, as well as for the purposes of appropriate assessment. It is intended that subject to the outcome of these screening exercises, the draft will then be published for public consultation.

Nicole Ryan (Sinn Fein)
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I thank the Minister of State for his reply. I am really delighted he is including the likes of Údarás na Gaeltachta in the plan. Will the language testing mentioned make it more difficult for people who want to live in or move to a Gaeltacht area or who have lived there and who may not have the best of Irish to access it? As we all know, there is a housing crisis. If people have another layer of red tape to deal with in order to be able to live in a Gaeltacht area, will that make things even harder for them?

Christopher O'Sullivan (Cork South-West, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Senator. I appreciate that her matter relates to trying to reduce red tape. That does seem like another layer of red tape, but it really is important that we protect these Gaeltacht areas and ensure that there is some level of Irish spoken in them.

On the red tape in general, the Senator raised a very good point. There needs to be a bespoke approach to Gaeltacht areas - and I would say island areas as well - involving some type of innovative housing solution.

We are seeing that it is proving more and more difficult for young people, in particular, to establish a connection to an area. They have to jump through hoops. Suitable sites are difficult to obtain. Often, these Gaeltacht areas are visually stunning, so there are issues with site suitability. I appreciate all of that. There needs to be an innovative approach specifically for the Gaeltacht areas and the islands, perhaps something like gateway housing, where people are given an opportunity to experience life in a Gaeltacht with an option to stay there longer. The Senator made a good point. I get the sense of urgency about the guidelines and I will bring that back to my Department.

Garret Ahearn (Fine Gael)
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The bells are ringing in the Lower House, so the Minister of State has to go to vote. The next Minister of State due here has to vote as well, so I ask the Acting Leader that we suspend the House until 3 p.m.

Gareth Scahill (Fine Gael)
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I propose that we suspend until 3 p.m.

Garret Ahearn (Fine Gael)
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Is that agreed? Agreed.

Garret Ahearn (Fine Gael)
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We will switch and take matters Nos. 5 and 6 with the Minister, Deputy Calleary, first. Is that agreed? Agreed.