Grace Boland (Dublin Fingal West, Fine Gael)
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545. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will consider introducing a dedicated rural housing strategy to support population growth in villages, including incentives for young families and remote workers to settle in rural areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54982/25]

John Cummins (Waterford, Fine Gael)
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As set out in Delivering Homes, Building Communities 2025-2030- An Action Plan on Housing Supply and Targeting Homelessness, we will publish a National Planning Statement in H2 of 2026 that 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 in the NPF.

Rural Housing Guidelines were last issued in 2005 as Ministerial Guidelines under Section 28 of the Planning and Development Act 2000. These Guidelines provide that people who are an intrinsic part of the rural community, on the basis of an economic or social need, should be facilitated in all rural areas. In areas under strong urban influence, the policy is to direct urban generated housing into cities, towns and villages. In a rural area suffering persistent and substantial population decline, the policy is to accommodate anyone wishing to build a house, subject to normal planning and environmental considerations.

Historically there has been a strong tradition of rural housing construction in Ireland, with approximately one-quarter of all delivery nationally for the last 30 years falling within this category. Rural housing continues to be an important component of new housing delivery with on average c.4,000-5,000 new rural dwellings being built annually.

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 National Planning Framework) 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 policy direction and guidance in respect of rural housing, initially in the form of a section 28 Guideline which will now be reviewed and prepared as a National Planning Statement, is currently being considered by my Department. The updated policy approach will expand on the high level spatial planning policy of the National Planning Framework (NPF), in particular on National Policy Objective (NPO) 28 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, large 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 28 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 National Planning Statement will set out relevant and consistent planning criteria to be applied in local authority development plans for rural housing, based on the high level policy framework set by the NPF.

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 National Planning Statement will address these complex environmental and legal issues, while also providing a framework for the sustainable management of housing in rural areas.

Our Rural Future, the Government's Rural Development Policy, recognises the opportunity for rural rejuvenation that remote working presents, and commits to establishing a comprehensive and integrated national network of 400 remote working hubs by the end of 2025. The Connected Hubs online platform was launched in May 2021 and is funded by the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht (DRCDG). The platform provides hub owners and customers with a central, easy to use portal that offers and enables the booking of a range of services, particularly professional remote working spaces and meeting rooms. DRCDG announced on 13th November 2025, that there are 400 remote and co-working facilities across the country on-boarded to the platform. Details of all the on-boarded hubs are available on the Connected Hubs website.

The Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht intends to launch the first National Hub Strategy shortly in collaboration with the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment. This strategy was developed following extensive engagement with relevant stakeholders such as hub managers, local authorities, government departments and agencies. The strategy will present a series of actions to support the future development and sustainability of remote working and enterprise hubs and to increase digital opportunities for local communities across the hub network. In this context it is also of note that the Programme for Government includes a commitment for a further iteration of the Connected Hubs Voucher Scheme.

DRCDG are committed to ensuring that the Connected Hubs initiative will continue to make a central contribution to the achievement to balanced regional economic development, supporting remote working and providing access to digital services in small towns and rural communities.

Broadband Connection Points (BCPs) are an initiative under the National Broadband Plan (NBP). BCPs are publicly accessible sites in areas that do not have adequate broadband services. 300 broadband connection points have been installed nationwide providing high-speed broadband connectivity to some of the most isolated and rural communities throughout the country. They are in publicly accessible buildings such as community centres, libraries, sports facilities, tourist locations and other public spaces.