IRISH LANGUAGE ADVOCATES and people from Gaeltacht areas have called for the Government to take action to address the housing crisis in Irish language speaking areas.

In a demonstration outside Leinster House this morning, the Bánú campaign group, with support from housing and Irish language advocacy organisations, highlighted the severe lack of housing in Gaeltacht regions.

Bánú – which means to become deserted or depopulated (literally “whitened”) – was founded last year to advocate for increased housing for Gaeltacht natives and Irish language speakers.

Speaking in Irish, Advocacy Manager with Irish language group Conradh na Gaeilge and a member of the Meitheal Náisiúnta Pleanála Teanga campaign group, Róisín Ni Chinnéide, said:

“Táimid anseo chun teachtaireacht ana sholéir a thabhairt don Rialtas nach bhfuil muid sásta leis an tslí atá siad á gcaitheamh le pobail Ghaeltachta.”

(“We are here to send a clear mesage to the Government that we’re not happy with the way they are treating Gaeltacht communities”)

Ní Chinnéide said the housing crisis had been the main issue raised among people living in Gaeltacht areas for the last number of years.

“Is í an géirchéim tithíochta an rud is mó atá ag brú daoine amach ón Gaeltacht. Ní feidir le daoine cead pleanála a fháil le fanacht ina gceantar féin. Ní feidir le daoine tithe a cheannach. Is beag áit atá ar fáil ar cios go fadthearmach,” she said.

(“The housing crisis is the the biggest thing pushing people out of the Gaeltacht. People can’t get planning permission to stay in their own areas. People can’t buy houses. There are few places available for long term rental”)

Latest Census data shows that the proportion of Irish speakers in Gaeltacht areas decreased from 69% in 2011 to 66% in 2022, with advocates putting a lack of places to live as one of the main reasons.

Cormac Fitzgerald / TheJouranal Cormac Fitzgerald / TheJouranal / TheJouranal

Demands

The protestors today had three key demands from Government:

1. That Draft Gaeltacht Planning Guidelines (that campaigners say have been promised by Government since 2021) are published immediately.
2. That Údarás na Gaeltachta be given clear functions in law in relation to housing.
3. That the Planning and Development Bill currently moving through the Oireacthas be strengthened as it relates to Gaeltacht areas.

The Draft Gaeltacht Planning Guidelines relate to planning permission in the Gaeltacht. The government said recently that they are being finalised and will soon be put out to public consultation.

These guidelines when published will provide clarity on building housing in Gaeltacht areas, and may allow that Irish speakers continuing to live in these areas will constitute a “local need” and so will easier be able to secure planning permission.

Údarás na Gaeltachta is a state agency responsible for the development of Irish language areas. There have been numerous calls, including from Sinn Féin, to give the body power in relation to building or leasing housing.

While the housing crisis is being felt across the country, campaigners say that the impact it has on native Irish speakers not being able to live their lives where they grew up gives it an extra dimension in Gaeltacht areas.

“Tá sé seo ag chur bac mór ar muintir na Gaeltachta agus go háirithe daoine óga gur mhaith leo cur fuatha sna ceantair Gaeltachta agus ní feidir leo cur fuatha ina gceantar inar thógach iad,” said Bláithín Nic a tSithigh, Leas Uachtarán don Ghaeilge le USI (Vice President of Irish with the Union of Students in Ireland).

(“This is putting a big block on Gaeltacht residents, especially young people, who would like to live their lives in Gaeltacht areas and they can’t live in the area they were raised”)

Nic a tSithigh is from Dingle, in Co Kerry, and says she would like to move back there soon, but is worried she won’t be able to find anywhere to live.

“Táim buartha. Bá bhreá liom féin i gceann cúpla bliana bogadh thar nais, mo theach féin a thogaint ach n’fheadar an mbeidh an deis sin agam mar sa slí ina bhfuil rudaí faoi láthair i gCiarraí. O mo thaithí féin tá sé ana dheacair do muintir na háite tógaint,” she said.

(“I’m worried. I myself would like to move back and build my own house but I don’t know if I will have that chance because of the way things are at the moment in Kerry. In my own experience it’s very hard for residents in the area to build.”)

Sinn Féin spokesperson on Spokesperson on Gaeilge, the Gaeltacht, Arts and Culture Aengus Ó Snodaigh was also present at the protest today. 

He said that the Government must act to allow people to build houses and remain in an area where they can live their lives through Irish.

In a statement, a Department of Housing spokesperson said the Gaeltacht Planning Guidelines “are currently being finalised” and will be published for public consultation.

The spokesperson also said that an ongoing revision to the National Planning Framework will also be subject to public consultation and will allow for submissions to be made on matters relating to planning in Gaeltacht areas.

The spokesperson also said that Section 48 of the Planning and Development Bill includes a provision for “the protection of the linguistic and cultural heritage, including the protection of Irish as the community language, of Gaeltacht areas in the functional area to which the development plan relates”.

County development plans are to “include objectives to support the promotion of the Irish language in the Gaeltacht”, the spokesperson said.

They also said that following amendments being tabled to the planning bill, Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien “committed to providing that planning authorities would be enabled to prepare Priority Area Plans for Gaeltacht areas and Islands”.