A TG4 presenter has called for adjustments to be made to the planning process to allow for native Irish speakers to be granted permission on applications to build single houses in Gaeltacht areas.
Caitríona Ní Chualáin sought planning permission to build a three-bed house in Conamara but had multiple applications rejected over rules to limit the number of single houses being built.
Ms Ní Chualáin was born and raised in Conamara and wants to remain living there, but said she cannot afford to buy a house in the area within her budget.
Speaking on RTÉ's Drivetime, she said that dispensation should be made to native Irish speakers trying to build homes in Gaeltacht areas in order to conserve them.
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"It’s a story that’s been echoed across the country, but I do feel like in regards to Gaeltacht areas and native Irish speakers, it is a bigger challenge in a way and a unique challenge.
"The Irish language is so important to me. For me personally, I’ve been born and bred with the language; my partner as well, Darach, from Inis Mór by way of An Ceathrú Rua.
"We’ve both had very similar upbringings... and my goal is to settle down in the Gaeltacht, in Indreabhán in particular, and at the moment I’m finding that very, very challenging," she said.
Ms Ní Chualáin said the issue she and her partner are facing is one that is quite common across Gaeltacht areas.
Her family had three fields available to build on and they had an engineer choose the most suitable site. However, after submitting a plan it was rejected.
They tried to amend the plan but it was subsequently rejected again.
"We weren’t trying to build a mansion. It was a very quaint three-bedroom bungalow. Nothing extravagant, very much in keeping with the local landscape," she said.
Ms Ní Chualáin said she was left in "a state of limbo" after those rejections about whether to continue paying to amend the plans or trying to buy a house.
However, buying a house was unachievable for her and her partner due to "bidding wars" on any houses that went up for sale where they wanted to buy.
She is calling for the planning process to take into account native Irish speakers looking to build in Gaeltacht areas when assessing applications.
"I do think that needs to be taken into consideration. I do think there should be assessments and amendments made.
"If the end goal is to sustain the language, sustain the Gaeltacht and help the people of the Gaeltacht, you need to actually have Irish speakers for there to be a Gaeltacht.
"If there’s no Irish, there’s no Irish speakers, the Gaeltacht ceases to exist," she added.
