Minister insists right to build one-off rural homes will not be changed 

'The new guidelines clearly state that those who have a need to build their own home in rural Ireland will be permitted to do so if they have a clear economic or social need.'

The right of anyone with a work or family reason to build one-off rural housing will not be changed under new planning guidelines, according to the minister responsible.

Junior Housing Minister Peter Burke, who oversees planning, said people should have "a right to live where they're from".

Speaking ahead of the Fine Gael ard fheis in Westmeath, Mr Burke said "significant work has gone into balancing the right to build one-off homes in rural Ireland in a sustainable manner".

There has been much commentary of late about the banning of rural one-off housing and since my appointment, I have been determined to put in place new guidelines which clarify that there will be absolutely no such ban."

The new planning guidelines are set to go out for public consultation before Christmas and Mr Burke said they would include the right to build housing in rural areas.

“The new guidelines clearly state that those who have a need to build their own home in rural Ireland will be permitted to do so if they have a clear economic or social need. 

"An economic need could be those who work in rural Ireland, whether this be on a farm or in a rural-based enterprise. An example of a social need could be if a person or family comes from the area, or has been living there for the last 10 to 15 years.

“The same safeguards will still be in place in terms of site suitability. There are also certain areas very close to large towns that are unsuitable for rural housing so there will be a scale introduced in each county, highlighting the areas that are under significant pressure from urban influence and overspill, down to remote areas where there will be less restrictions placed on those who want to build."

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He said that, as every area is different geographically, planning authorities can show discretion in order to get the right balance.

While rural housing cannot be permitted in every area for every person, those who have a genuine need must be given the option to live where they come from, to continue to work on the land, develop rural Ireland and keep our towns and villages strong and vibrant places."

The issue has long been a contentious one for the coalition. The Green Party is strongly opposed to building large numbers of one-off rural houses, claiming this type of development has a social and environmental cost and has contributed to the hollowing out of rural towns, but Mr Burke has said one-off homes account for about a quarter of output and this is unlikely to change.