Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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533. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will provide an update on the new rural planning guidelines. [1072/23]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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Updated Rural Housing Planning Guidelines are currently being prepared by my Department. The updated guidelines will expand on the high level spatial planning policy of the National Planning Framework (NPF), in particular on National Policy Objective (NPO) 19 which relates to rural housing. This objective makes a clear policy distinction between rural areas under urban influence (i.e. areas within the commuter catchment of cities, towns and centres of employment) on the one hand, and structurally weaker rural areas where population levels may be low 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 are to be applied by planning authorities in rural areas under urban influence.

The proposed Draft Rural Housing Guidelines will set out relevant planning criteria to be applied in local authority development plans for rural housing, based on the high level policy framework set by the NPF. The guidelines will continue to allow county development plans to provide for housing in the countryside based on the considerations detailed in NPO 19 of the NPF, and will also highlight the need to manage development in certain areas, such as the areas around cities and larger towns and environmentally sensitive areas, in order to avoid over-development.

The guidelines are at an advanced stage of drafting and environmental assessments (AA and SEA) are nearing completion. It is intended to publish the draft guidelines for a period of public consultation when the environmental assessments are competed, in Q1 2023.

Following the period of consultation, and with any subsequent changes made, the guidelines will be submitted to the Minister for approval to publish. Once issued, Planning Authorities and An Bord Pleanála will be required to have regard to the guidelines in carrying out their functions.