Tom Brabazon (Dublin Bay North, Fianna Fail)
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369. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government when his Department will publish and implement strong planning guidelines in relation to the statutory duty of the county councils regarding the preservation of Irish as a community language in the Gaeltacht. [4551/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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The Planning and Development Act 2000 as amended, sets out mandatory objectives for local authorities, which must be addressed in the drafting of their Development Plan governing local development policies. Section 10(2)(m) of the Planning and Development Act includes a requirement that, where there is a Gaeltacht area within the planning authority’s administrative area, the development plan must include provisions and objectives for “the protection of the linguistic and cultural heritage of the Gaeltacht including the promotion of Irish as the community language”.

The published in July 2022 give further guidance to local authorities in addressing the requirements of section 10(2)(m) in the development plan review process. This includes reflecting the Gaeltacht Language Planning Areas (Limistéar Pleanála Teanga – LPTs as required under the Gaeltacht Act 2012) as well as the inclusion of further policies such as ensuring that development proposals in Gaeltacht areas have a positive impact on the linguistic and cultural heritage that can be robustly assessed at planning application stage.

To further support the level of guidance provided to Local Authorities in relation to planning matters in Gaeltacht Areas, an Interdepartmental Group (comprising the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (DHLGH), the Department of Rural, Community Development and the Gaeltacht (DRCDG) and Údarás na Gaeltachta) is still continuing its work in developing specific planning guidance for Gaeltacht areas. There is also a separate Working Group made up of both Departments and Údarás na Gaeltachta and the relevant local authorities with Gaeltacht areas. Interdepartmental Group and Working Group meetings took place in 2023 and bilateral Departmental engagement continued into 2024 and is ongoing.

Having regard to the need to consider the complex matters involved and further to engagement with the Department of Rural, Community Development and the Gaeltacht, any finalised draft guidelines will be subject to mandatory screening under EU law for Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA), as well as for the purposes of Appropriate Assessment (AA). It is intended that, in consultation with DRCDG, subject to the outcome of the screening exercises, the draft guidelines will then be published for public consultation.