by Chris Ashmore
DONEGAL County Council is set to hold a special workshop to discuss Irish language requirements when it comes to planning permissions for multiple residential developments in Gaeltacht areas.
The issue was raised at the January meeting of the Council by Councillor Michael McClafferty, who said that it was his understanding that current policy states that 85 per cent of houses in such cases must be for fluent Irish speakers, and that this is provided that the head of the household is fluent in Irish.
What followed was a lively and, at times, a heated debate.
Currently, the Donegal County Development Plan (DCDP) 2024-2030 recognises that population decline is a key issue in Gaeltacht areas.
As part of its stated objective to enhance the vitality of the Irish language in the Gaeltacht, the Council policy states that it will “impose a language condition on any planning permission for multiple development of two or more dwellings in the Gaeltacht requiring that the proportion of units to be occupied by Irish speakers equates to the proportion of Irish speakers with the subject District Electoral Division (based on the latest available census data) subject to a minimum of 85 per cent rounded to the nearest number of whole units where necessary”.
There is also what is known as a Language Impact Assessment for multiple residential units.
‘FALL BETWEEN THE CRACKS’
Cllr McClafferty told the meeting that “people who are not fluent cannot be allowed to fall between the cracks due to this policy. Some people can speak Irish but may not be fully fluent,” he stated. “Others have no Irish. We need to discuss this 85 per cent rule to ensure that while we respect and promote the Irish language that we take a practical and common sense approach.”
Elaborating, he wondered if people were being asked to sit an exam, and asked what standard they need to have. He also questioned how an area would be surveyed, and what happens if the 85 per cent threshold is not met, or if the parents do not speak Irish, but the children do.
His motion was seconded by Cllr Anthony Molloy.
However, there was some stiff opposition to his motion.
Cllr Declan Meehan said “radical solutions” are needed to address the decline in Irish, and he felt that the Council should maintain and implement the current policy. He described calls for a common sense approach as being “flippant” and that the policy “was a good start”.
He put forward a counter motion and called for a workshop with expert advice.
He also asked: “Does this Council want to be a leader or a loser when it comes to saving our language in our Gaeltacht communities?”
Cathaoirleach of Donegal County Council Paul Canning noted that it was both a planning and a housing issue while senior official Paul McGill pointed out that the two motions were not in opposition to each other. The one from Cllr McClafferty sought a discussion and clarity while Cllr Meehan was calling for the policy to remain as it is.
Several other councillors also spoke before it was finally agreed that a workshop would be held, and that councillors would be circulated with the relevant documentation in advance, and that experts on the Irish language would also be in attendance.
In an official response to Cllr McClafferty’s motion, Eamonn Browne, Director of Planning, Communities and Culture, stated: “The proposals for multiple housing developments within Gaeltacht areas will continue to be assessed and determined in accordance with the policies of the County Development Plan as adopted in mid-2024.”
He added: “In applying these policies, the Council remains conscious of the need for reasonable, proportionate and measured approach, having regard to the overall objectives of both language protection and community sustainability. The matters raised in the motion will inform ongoing consideration of the policy through the appropriate governance and review processes.”
