Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

1299. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the status of the working group that was established to review the 2005 rural housing guidelines, following engagement between the European Commission and his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45746/17]

Barry Cowen (Offaly, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

1323. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will publish the findings of the working group on rural housing; the timeframe for the publication of new guidelines on rural housing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46323/17]

Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 1299 and 1323 together.

Following engagement between the European Commission and my Department regarding the 2013 European Court of Justice ruling in the Flemish Decree case, a working group - comprising senior representatives from my Department and planning authorities - was established in May 2017 to review and, where necessary, recommend changes to the 2005 Planning Guidelines on Sustainable Rural Housing issued under section 28 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 with a view to ensuring that rural housing policies and objectives contained in county development plans comply with the relevant provisions of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.

The deliberations of the working group concluded in September 2017 and my Department now proposes to engage further with the European Commission on the proposed changes to be made to the 2005 Guidelines, which it is expected will be finalised later this year.

Planning authorities were advised by way of Circular letter PL 2/2017 which issued on 31 May 2017 that the existing 2005 Guidelines remain in place and they should not amend rural housing policies in their development plans until after the revisions to the Guidelines have been finalised and issued. The Circular letter is available to view on my Department's website at the below link: