Victor Boyhan demands publication of rural housing guidelines
Victor Boyhan spoke in the Senate to press the government to publish draft rural housing guidelines and to thank the Leader for extra time to debate the government fuel supports and measures. He acknowledged the additional 100 million provided for farmers, fishers and foresters and warned that rural communities are still waiting for clear policy on housing.
Victor Boyhan urged Ministers to publish a draft of the rural housing guidelines, stressing that rural constituents, including those he met in Galway during the by-election, have raised the issue repeatedly. He warned that ad hoc ideas like modular housing, introduced less than 12 months ago, are not a substitute for clear guidance.
Boyhan thanked the Leader and the Leader's office for extending time to debate the government package on fuel supports and acknowledged further supports of 100 million for farmers, fishers and foresters. He referenced his role on the Joint Office Committee on Agriculture and said the measures are worthy of scrutiny in the Houses.
Speaking from the Senate bench, Boyhan criticised the lack of ministerial commitment and called for transparency: publish the draft rural housing guidelines so rural representatives know the government's intention. He framed the demand as central to rural housing and local democracy, not merely a procedural matter.
Boyhan said he will raise the issue again in the Senate and urged colleagues across party lines to press for clarity. The speech places pressure on Cabinet and Ministers to respond publicly to persistent concerns from rural constituencies about housing policy and planning guidance.
Immediate demand: publication of draft guidelines
Victor Boyhan urged Ministers to publish a draft of the rural housing guidelines, stressing that rural constituents, including those he met in Galway during the by-election, have raised the issue repeatedly. He warned that ad hoc ideas like modular housing, introduced less than 12 months ago, are not a substitute for clear guidance.
Support measures and parliamentary process
Boyhan thanked the Leader and the Leader's office for extending time to debate the government package on fuel supports and acknowledged further supports of 100 million for farmers, fishers and foresters. He referenced his role on the Joint Office Committee on Agriculture and said the measures are worthy of scrutiny in the Houses.
Call for clarity and accountability
Speaking from the Senate bench, Boyhan criticised the lack of ministerial commitment and called for transparency: publish the draft rural housing guidelines so rural representatives know the government's intention. He framed the demand as central to rural housing and local democracy, not merely a procedural matter.
Political context and next steps
Boyhan said he will raise the issue again in the Senate and urged colleagues across party lines to press for clarity. The speech places pressure on Cabinet and Ministers to respond publicly to persistent concerns from rural constituencies about housing policy and planning guidance.
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Transcript
Thank you Cathaoirleach and thank you Leader. I suppose firstly I would concur with what Senator Gallagher has said. I sit on the Joint Office Committee on Agriculture. These things are debated on a weekly basis but I think there are good reasons for it and of course certainly within the union it makes sense that we do business. We can surround ourselves but I'm not talking to that particular but just a general comment but I would welcome a debate here but I think there are many reasons and of course we advocate trade, we advocate competition and therefore we must engage with competition certainly within the member states. Leader, I'd like to raise the issue. Firstly I'd like to thank your office, the Leader's office should I say, for facilitating additional time this afternoon for the government package on fuel supports. I think it's worthy of debate. I want to thank the Leader and the Leader's office for being open to extending the period given the measure of interest outside of these houses and so I just want to convey my thanks for that and I look forward to engaging with that and I think also there are more further supports of 100 million of course that have been provided specifically for farmers and fishers and foresters etc and I think that's important but we'll have that debate later and I want to just acknowledge that. Leader, I was in Galway the week before last in the context of the by-election and what I want to tell you here is something I've been talking about for all the years that I've been in the Senate is rural housing guidelines, the publishing of rural housing guidelines and yet today the Cabinet are talking about modular, an idea that was dreamt up less than 12 months ago and we now have a circular on issues today in relation to that. Everyone in this House from rural constituencies certainly has spoken about it, Fianna Fáil Senators, Fianna Gael Senators and somehow it's dropping on deaf ears, you don't seem to, no one's listening to you, no Minister can come in here and give us a commitment. We're all we're asking for and I reiterate it here, we want to see a draft copy of the rural housing guidelines published. I'll visit this again tomorrow in the Senate, it's a big issue for everyone on the doors in Galway but it should be everywhere and I think it's time we stopped talking through both sides of our mouth and we got clarity of what is the government's intention in this matter. Thank you.