Supporting Gaeltacht and Island Communities

The Government is committed to helping Gaeltacht areas and islands thrive. A key part of this is making sure there is enough suitable housing for people who live and work there.

What’s happening?

• A National Planning Statement will be published to guide housing development in Gaeltacht areas and protect the Irish language.
• We will continue working with Údarás na Gaeltachta and other partners to provide housing and community services.

Údarás na Gaeltachta supports over 9,000 jobs and is responsible for the economic, social, cultural, and language development of 26 Gaeltacht areas. To keep Irish speakers living and working in these communities, housing must be available.

Údarás na Gaeltachta may work with Uisce Éireann and local authorities to develop serviced sites for housing in Gaeltacht areas.

We recognise the unique challenges of living on offshore islands. To support island communities, we have introduced measures such as:

• Subsidised ferry services to carry construction materials and machinery.
• Funding for community development and infrastructure projects.
• Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant:
  • Up to €60,000 for refurbishing vacant homes.
  • Up to €84,000 for derelict properties (20% extra because building on islands costs more)