Údarás na Gaeltachta (Amendment) Bill 2024: An Tuarascáil agus an Chéim Dheiridh Dail Éireann — 2026-05-27 ============================================================ Rory Hearne (SD), Dublin North-West Ceart go leor. Tá an ghéarchéim tithíochta sna Gaeltachtaí uafásach ar fad. It is time to give a direct role to Údarás na Gaeltachta to deliver affordable housing in the Gaeltacht areas. Táim ag tacú le Conradh na Gaeilge agus grúpaí pobail eile, ar nós Tintéan agus BÁNÚ, agus iad ag lorg cumhachtaí breise don údaras ionas go bhféadfadh sé talamh a cheannach ar mhaithe le tithíocht a sholáthar. It is very clear that the future of the Gaeltacht as an Irish-speaking community and the future of the language itself is in jeopardy as a result of the housing crisis, which is a housing disaster, in the Gaeltacht. What we want to see in proposing these amendments is a shift and a change to give Údarás na Gaeltachta a direct role. Tá todhchaí na Gaeltachta mar phobal Gaeilge á cur i mbaol de bharr an intinn dhiúltach atá ag an Aire agus an Roinn maidir le ceisteanna tithíochta sa Ghaeltacht. Níl an tAire sásta úsaid a bhaint as an gcumhacht atá aige faoi mhír 9 d'Acht na dTithe (Gaeltacht) (Leasú), 2001. Tá an cuma ar an scéal nach bhfuil sé sásta ach an oiread ligean don údarás rannóg tithíochta a bhunú. The authority - Údarás na Gaeltachta - has land in the Gaeltacht, for example in Baile na hAbhann, close to the sewage treatment plant, which could provide a mixture of social and affordable housing and where serviced sites could be developed if the Minister gave sufficient resources and the authority to Údarás na Gaeltachta to develop this land. There seems to be a reason - I do not understand it - that the Department appears to be reluctant to give these powers to Údarás na Gaeltachta. It is time to change that and it is time to give Údarás na Gaeltachta a direct role in delivering housing. Tá talamh ag Údarás na Gaeltachta i mBaile na hAbhann, mar shampla, in aice leis an ionad cóireála séarachais, áit a bhféadfadh sé meascán de thithíocht shóisialta, tithíocht inacmhainne agus suíomhanna le seirbhísí a fhorbairt. Ba chóir don Aire acmhainní a chur ar fáil don údarás idir airgead caipitil agus airgead reatha. Tá talamh ag an údarás sa Rinn i gContae Port Láirge, i nGaoth Dobhair agus i Ráth Chairn a bhféadfaí a fhorbairt le cainteoirí Gaeilge a choinneáil sna pobail Ghaeltachta dá mbeadh an tAire agus an Roinn sásta cead agus maoiniú a thabhairt le rannóg tithíochta a bhunú le go bhféadfadh an t-údarás daoine a fhostú leis an obair a dhéanamh chun pleananna a réiteach, cead pleanála a fháil agus úsáid a bhaint as na scéimeanna atá ag an Roinn tithíochta le tithíocht a sholáthar do chainteoirí Gaeilge sna ceantair Ghaeltachta ina bhfuil an Ghaeilge in úsáid i measc an phobail. In this amendment we are calling on the Minister to give permission to Údarás na Gaeltachta to develop housing and to have a direct role so that people in the Gaeltacht can have a guaranteed delivery of housing. --- Source: Houses of the Oireachtas. Licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). The Official Report is revised after first publication; the fetch timestamp below identifies the version quoted. Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-05-27/debate/main Retrieved: 2026-09-14T01:01:04+00:00 Sitting date: 2026-05-27