Christopher O'Sullivan (Cork South West, Fianna Fail)
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285. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will consider invoking the special policy planning regulation for county development plans in relation to planning on the islands due to their unique housing requirements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23830/24]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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The Government’s housing plan to 2030, Housing for All, supports the need to fully consider the housing needs of island communities as part of the objective to drive social sustainability and foster sustainable communities. The National Planning Framework (NPF) also identifies the need to sustain vibrant rural communities on our offshore islands. It is a National Policy Objective of the NPF to encourage sustainable growth in rural areas experiencing population decline such as many of our island communities.

Updated Rural Housing Guidelines are currently being prepared by my Department. The updated guidelines will expand on the high level spatial planning policy of the NPF, in particular on National Policy Objective 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.

The 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. It is envisaged that draft guidelines will be published for a period of public consultation in due course.

The statutory county development plan, and its related housing strategy, prepared and adopted by each local authority provides the strategic policy context at a local level for planned new housing development. This provides the specific planning policy and objectives for the consideration of new proposals for housing development and the basis for meeting the identified housing needs of the local authority area.

While a development plan is required to relate to the whole functional area of a planning authority by virtue of section 9(2) of the Planning and Development Act 2000, planning authorities do have the option of preparing a local area plan for any particular part of their functional area, including the islands. This would be a decision for the local authority concerned and the power to adopt a local area plan rests with the elected members.

The recent publication of the National Islands Policy 2023-2033 provides an appropriate framework for engagement and further development of housing policy on our off-shore islands in conjunction with the local authorities and other stakeholders.