Tom Brabazon (Dublin Bay North, Fianna Fail)
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328. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if funding will be made available annually to the Department of Rural, Community Development and the Gaeltacht to operate the Gaeltacht housing grants scheme again, pursuant to the Houses (Gaeltacht) (Amendment) Act 2001, to provide support for Irish speakers who would like to build or renovate a house in the Gaeltacht. [4550/25]

Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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The Údarás na Gaeltachta (Amendment) Bill 2024, which completed 2nd Stage in Dáil Éireann prior to last year's general election, has recently been restored for inclusion in the business of the current Dáil. It is my intention to continue to progress this Bill through the Houses of the Oireachtas. The Bill provides An tÚdarás with the power to dispose of lands held by the organisation to an approved housing body within the meaning of the Housing (Regulation of Approved Housing Bodies) Act 2019 or to a housing authority within the meaning of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1992 for the provision of housing in the Gaeltacht.

Independent of the aforementioned legislative amendment, I have been informed that the board of Údarás na Gaeltachta in late 2023 approved €250,000 for research regarding the supply and demand for housing in the Gaeltacht for Irish speakers. This research concluded:

• That there is a population of 106,000 people in the Gaeltacht but that the population therein is growing at a slower rate than the country as a whole.

• That the share of the population in the Gaeltacht under the age of 18 is decreasing and that the over 55 age group is increasing.

• that, drawing from Census figures, there were 53,618 houses in the Gaeltacht in 2011. This number rose to 56,282 by 2022. This was a growth of 5%, which is in line with the national rate. The largest increase was in the Galway Gaeltacht (11%) and the Meath Gaeltacht (12%).

• that the occupancy rate is lower in the Gaeltacht (71%, up from 69% in 2011) and the national rate is 87%. Looking at the occupancy rate in Gaeltacht areas, it is at the highest level in the Meath (92%), Galway (83%) and Waterford (80%) Gaeltachts.

• that the percentage of empty houses in the Gaeltacht (11%) is higher than the national average (8%)

• that there are more than 5 times as many holiday homes in Gaeltacht areas than in the state as a whole, as a share of the total housing stock. The highest proportion of holiday homes are situated in the Gaeltacht regions of Kerry and Donegal.

In parallel with this, Údarás na Gaeltachta is working with stakeholders to address different challenges in the provision and availability of housing in Gaeltacht areas. I should also point out that plans to support and facilitate the availability of housing in Gaeltacht areas as an extension of existing state initiatives and on a number of identified sites on land owned by an tÚdarás have been a standing agenda item for each meeting of the board of Údarás na Gaeltachta since December 2023.

I can confirm that my Department has no plans to re-activate the scheme of housing grants referred to by the Deputy which was administered by my Department but suspended some years ago. Since the suspension of this scheme, the Government has introduced a number of new schemes aimed at assisting both first time house buyers and those wishing to build their own homes - schemes which are available to prospective applicants from Gaeltacht areas. It is, therefore, my considered view that to re-activate the specific Gaeltacht schemes referred to by the Deputy would be unnecessary and would merely duplicate the supports available on a national basis.

Finally, I should draw the Deputy's attention to a commitment in the Programme for Government to publish Gaeltacht Planning Guidelines. Considerable work has already been carried out by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage in consultation with my department, in developing these guidelines. This work will be be built upon over the coming months with a view to publishing the guidelines as soon as possible.