Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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80. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he is aware of the urgent need for housing in Gweedore and other Gaeltacht regions in County Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35829/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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The local authority Development Plan is the principal planning strategy document which sets out the relevant policies and objectives to guide the physical development of each city and county over a six-year period and is required to be consistent with the National Planning Framework (NPF) and the relevant Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy.

The Revised NPF was approved by Government and the Oireachtas in April 2025. This concluded the Revision process and allows the revised NPF to take effect in the planning system. The Revised NPF provides the basis for the review and updating of Regional Spatial and Economic Strategies and local authority development plans to reflect matters such as updated housing figures, projected jobs growth and renewable energy capacity allocations, including through the zoning of land for residential, employment and a range of other purposes.

Given the urgent need to ensure that the updated housing requirements can be incorporated into the planning system as quickly as possible to address housing need and demand, local authorities will be required to update their current development plans, in line with a clear policy direction, which is intended to issue as soon as possible. It is intended that this will involve the variation of current development plans under the Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended) in the first instance, with the steps associated with the variation process set out within section 13 of the Planning and Development Act 2000.

In addition, under section 10 of the Act, where there is a Gaeltacht area located within the planning authority’s administrative area, the development plan must include objectives for “the protection of the linguistic and cultural heritage of the Gaeltacht including the promotion of Irish as the community language”.

The Development Plans Guidelines for Planning Authorities published in July 2022 give further guidance to local authorities, including 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.

An Interdepartmental Group (comprising my Department, the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht and Údarás na Gaeltachta) continues 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, and bilateral Departmental engagement is ongoing.

Having regard to the need to consider the complex matters involved and further to engagement with the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht, 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 the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht, subject to the outcome of the screening exercises, the draft guidelines will then be published for public consultation.