Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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Under Section 30 of the Planning and Development 2000 Act, as amended, the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage is specifically precluded from exercising power or control in relation to any particular case with which a planning authority or An Bord Pleanála is or may be concerned. It is therefore not possible for me to comment on any individual case.

More generally however, under the Guidelines for Planning Authorities on Sustainable Rural Housing 2005, planning authorities are required to frame the planning policies in their development plans in a balanced and measured way that ensures the housing needs of rural communities are met, while avoiding excessive urban-generated housing. The 2005 Sustainable Rural Housing Guidelines were issued under Section 28 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, and are available on the Government’s website at the following link: . My Department communicated to planning authorities (Circular letter PL 2/2017) on 31 May 2017, advising that the existing 2005 Guidelines remain in place until advised otherwise by the Department and this remains valid.

Since 2018, the National Planning Framework (NPF) has been in force as the national planning policy document, as part of Project Ireland 2040. The NPF is a planning policy framework rather than a set of recommendations and provides an important strategic basis for interpreting the 2005 Guidelines and in particular, the distinction between urban and rural generated housing.

In this regard, NPO 19 of the NPF aims to ensure that a policy distinction is made between areas experiencing significant overspill development pressure from urban areas, particularly within the commuter catchment of cities, towns and centres of employment, on the one hand, and other remoter and weaker rural areas where population levels may be low and or declining, on the other. NPO 19 is also aligned with the established approach whereby considerations of social (intrinsic part of the community) or economic (persons working full or part time) need may be applied by planning authorities in rural areas under urban influence.

The NPF acknowledges that rural settlements are not suitable for a suburban or a high density approach to development and tailored design approaches are needed. The NPF also recognises that in rural Ireland many people seek to have an opportunity to build their own homes.

Work is current underway on an update of the 2005 Guidelines and I expect to receive an initial draft guidelines document shortly. Given the complexity of the issues involved, the need for environmental assessment and both internal and external consultation, I would expect draft updated guidelines to be available later in 2021.

In the interim, the NPF objectives together with the 2005 Guidelines, enable planning authorities to continue to draft and adopt county development plan policies for one-off housing in rural areas.