Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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200. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the extent to which young people seeking to remain resident in their native areas can be facilitated throughout rural Ireland thereby assuring the future of schools, shops and community life while maintaining good environmental and planning practice; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24549/24]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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Since the publication of the current Sustainable Rural Housing Guidelines in 2005 (which continue to have effect in addition to subsequent clarifications and national policy changes in the NPF) there have been important changes to our planning system. Most notably, obligations under European Directives and international agreements relating to the management and protection of the environment and adapting to and mitigating climate change have become more central to the operation of the planning system.

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 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 or economic need are to be applied by planning authorities in rural areas under urban influence.

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, 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.

While planning policy is a national, as opposed to an EU competence, due care is being taken to ensure the updated guidelines will not operate to conflict with fundamental EU freedoms, comply with EU environmental legislative requirements and have due regard to decisions of the European Court of Justice. The draft planning guidelines will address these complex environmental and legal issues, while also providing a framework for the sustainable management of housing in rural areas.

Having regard to these complex considerations, the draft guidelines are subject to legal review and Ministerial approval, following which it is intended that the draft guidelines will be published for a period of public consultation.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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201. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of planning permissions refused, by county, in respect of one-off housing in rural areas affecting the indigenous population; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24550/24]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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Planning statistics are compiled by each planning authority on an annual basis for collation and publication on my Department’s website, at the following link:

www.gov.ie/en/service/9e4ee-get-planning-statistics/

However, the data collected relates to the total number of applications and decisions for all developments that require planning permission, broken down by year and planning authority, and is not broken down by reason for the grant or refusal of permission, including in respect of one-off housing in rural areas affecting the indigenous population. Such information may be sought directly from the relevant planning authority.

In addition, the Central Statistics Office (CSO), as the national statistical office, compiles and makes available detailed data on a number of planning related issues including permissions granted and completions by development type and county. Data in this regard is available at the following link on the CSO website:

www.cso.ie/en/statistics/construction/planningpermissions/