Naoise Ó Cearúil (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

259. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department has assessed the impact of commuter town expansion on the viability of small farms in north Kildare; if he will provide details of plans to protect agricultural land from rezoning pressures; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [66467/25]

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Accelerating housing supply is a priority for Government and we have just published the new housing plan, ‘Delivering Homes, Building Communities: An Action Plan on Housing Supply and Targeting Homelessness’. The Government recognises that there must be a balance of economic, environmental and social considerations regarding land use.

However, while increased housing will require additional land, it is unlikely to have a significant effect on the amount of land available for agriculture. Despite the increased pressures on land use, the most recent Farm Structure Survey from the CSO showed that there were 4.620 million hectares of Utilised Agricultural Area, excluding commonage, in 2023. This is actually an increase of over 110,000 ha (+2.5%) since 2020 and represents 67% of the total area of the State, with a further 12% in forestry.

Additionally, while planning and zoning issues are a matter for my colleague the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, I have listened to the genuine concerns being expressed by farmers and farm bodies on lands that fall under the scope of Residential Zoned land Tax (RZLT). In consultation with the Minister for Finance, it was agreed in this year’s budget that the opportunity to avail of an exemption from RZLT in 2025 is being extended for a further year. This is provided for landowners and farmers who carry out genuine economic activity on their land if they seek to have their land rezoned