The Government was called on to spell out its policy on rural housing at the conference of the Irish Rural Dwellers' Association in Cahersiveen, Co Kerry, yesterday. It claims Mr Ahern seems to have done "a complete U-turn" on the issue in recent days.
IRDA spokesman Mr Declan MacPartlin said it appeared Mr Ahern wishes to confine new rural housing to families of landowners, while Mr Ó Cuív, the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, supported a settlement pattern which permitted those who were not farmers to live in rural Ireland.
The policy of the IRDA was geared towards the preservation of rural population and the availability of affordable housing in the countryside, subject to reasonable planning regulations.
Mr Jim Connolly, secretary and founder member of the IRDA said "the Taoiseach made a statement (in Sligo) two weeks ago that lifted all our hearts. He went back to the Dáil then and said (in a reply to Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny) he was confining his remarks to siblings of landowners".
Permission to build a house in the countryside should not be confined to family members of landowners, and it should not be confined to those working in rural areas. A whole section of people, including the unemployed and the retired, was being prevented from living in the countryside under the current interpretations of the Planning and Development Act.
Mr Connolly said the IRDA wanted "a root and branch change" to planning law, beginning with objectors.
"We are the only country in Europe that allows third-party objectors. You can be living in Hong Kong and object to a development anywhere in Ireland." Only "immediate neighbours" should be allowed object to a house.
The Minister, Mr Ó Cuív, who addressed the conference last night, said the Government was fully committed to the development and prosperity of rural areas. There was not going to be a ban on rural houses. Some eight out of 10 applications for one-off housing were being approved.