MEP Ciarán Mullooly- “Irish Government must publish housing blueprint for Gaeltacht areas now”

MEP Ciarán Mullooly- “Irish Government must publish housing blueprint for Gaeltacht areas now” 

Irish Midlands-Northwest MEP Ciarán Mullooly has called on Taoiseach Micheál Martin to immediately publish the long-awaited housing blueprint for Gaeltacht areas. Speaking in the European Parliament, Mullooly highlighted the urgent need for planning and zoning reforms to enable the construction of thousands of homes in counties such as Kerry, Galway, and Donegal. 

“Residents in these areas are frustrated and tired of waiting,” said Mullooly. “The lack of progress is not just a housing issue; it’s a threat to our heritage and the survival of the Irish language itself. The Gaeltacht areas are not only geographical regions; they are part of Ireland’s heritage and the beating heart of the Irish language – mar a deirimid as Gaeilge, an teanga – croí na Gaeilge.” 

Mullooly emphasised that inadequate planning policies and unchecked corporate acquisitions, particularly for Airbnb-style rentals, have created a crisis. “Properties are being purchased over the heads of young local couples who are fluent in Irish and committed to promoting the language,” he stated. “If planning continues to discriminate against Irish speakers in Gaeltacht areas, there is a real risk of losing the Irish language forever in places like Galway, Kerry, and Donegal.” 

Last week, Mullooly met with Gaeltacht representatives, including Breanndán Begley, to discuss these challenges. He called on Micheál Martin to prioritise housing reforms as a critical step in protecting the Irish language. “It is clear that addressing housing shortages in these areas would be instrumental in safeguarding our linguistic and cultural heritage,” he said. 

As Vice Chair of the European Parliament’s Housing Crisis Committee, Mullooly also urged EU action on this issue. “We need positive planning policies that ensures young people are not priced out of their own communities,” he declared. “The Irish language has survived war, famine, and emigration – for it to die due to planning laws would be a tragedy.”