Tipperary TD criticises 'Government's inactivity in addressing the worsening housing crisis'

The Rural Independent Group of TDs will move a motion in the Dáil this morning to address Ireland's housing crisis and the deficiencies in the planning system, particularly in rural areas.

The motion calls for immediate action from the Government to publish new rural planning guidelines, introduce statutory timelines for An Bord Pleanála, relax planning rules for log cabins, extend the Help to Buy scheme to second-hand homes, and offer a €20,000 grant-aid package for first-time home builders.

The leader of the Rural Independent Group, Tipperary Deputy Mattie McGrath, stressed that the government's inactivity in addressing the worsening housing crisis and the outdated and dysfunctional planning system in Ireland has led to rising construction costs, causing significant obstacles to house building and a major cost driver of expensive housing.

Deputy McGrath also highlighted that rural housing regulations are overly zealous, preventing many from building on family lands. Moreover, the current planning process can take up to four years for a project or applicant to be determined, and An Bord Pleanála has become a dysfunctional organisation.

"The government's failure to take action on rural housing policy, which is possibly influenced by the Green Party, has led to the displacement of young people from their ancestral lands, causing significant harm to rural communities," he stated.

"In addition, the current planning laws are outdated and impractical, making it extremely difficult for people to obtain planning permission for homes such as log cabins, further exacerbating the anti-rural planning policy".

The Rural Independent Group of TDs is encouraging all TDs to support the motion, which it says contains practical solutions that are critical for the future of our communities.