The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Michael McGrath, has confirmed to Independent TD for Laois Offaly Carol Nolan that the revised rural housing guidelines for planning authorities will be published within the next month or six weeks at the latest.
Minister McGrath was speaking in response to a range of planning related issues raised by Deputy Nolan during Leaders Questions in the Dáil earlier today (Tuesday 22 February.)
The revised and updated guidelines have been eagerly awaited since 2017 when a Working Group was established within the Department of Housing to examine the issue of rural housing, including so called ‘One-Off Housing.’
Since that time there have been repeated calls for the guidelines to be published.
Deputy Nolan also described the recent Supreme Court decision in the Glanbia case as a “victory of common sense against an overly zealous and inflexible attitude toward environmental or emissions targets.”
Minister McGrath also welcomed the Supreme Court judgement and said that there was a clear need for a “fair and timely” planning system to be in place.
This would be achieved he went on to say once the Attorney General completed his “re-examination of the entire legislative framework” underpinning the current planning system.
Deputy Nolan also highlighted the ongoing delays with respect to the proposed multi-million euro investment at the Banagher Chilling factory in County Offaly:
“The unfortunate fact of the matter is that An Bord Pleanála is simply not fulfilling its statutory obligations specifically when it comes to Section 126 of the Planning and Development Act which provides that every planning appeal is to be determined within 18 weeks.,” the Deputy said.
“I have no wish to personalise this against the staff of An Bord Pleanála. I am sure they are just as frustrated as the rest of us with the growing need to assess even the most minor projects against a library shelf of EU regulations. We need a much more simplified system because the one we have is simply not working.”
“The Banagher case is a clear example of that, because despite repeated deadlines being missed there is still no sign of the inspectors report from An Bord Pleanála regarding the investment which Offaly and indeed the midlands so desperately needs.”
“I strongly believe that we should not approach planning as a zero-sum game between enterprise, employment and the environment. We can and must learn to strike the correct balance,” concluded Deputy Nolan.