A new report has found a deficit of available and affordable housing poses serious risks to the future of the Uíbh Ráthach Gaeltacht in Kerry.
The report, which was launched today, came off the back of community-led research since 2024, led by the Think-tank for Action on Social Change (TASC) in partnership with Cumas Ceantar Uíbh Ráthach.
The report builds on the work of others in the area such as the Tasc Fhorsa Uíbh Ráthach, and Údarás na Gaeltachta.
The intention of the project, The People’s Transition in the Uíbh Ráthach Gaeltacht, was to listen to and learn from the community’s needs and abilities, and design climate solutions to benefit the community and address local priorities.
The report based off that research said it quickly became evident that a current deficit of available and affordable long-term housing is a primary obstacle hindering the regeneration of the Gaeltacht.
It found the area was significantly impacted by outward migration, with the population nearly halving between 1946 and 2011, while the number of holiday homes was about equal to the number of occupied houses in the last Census.
The report said flexibility is needed to address this, to help protect the local economy so visitors still have places to stay in the area.
The report suggested a community-led housing project to provide full-time homes for local people, which could incorporate the Irish language with local materials, local skills, and shared community space.
Dr Kieran Harahill from TASC, says local and government policy needs to now allow this kind of work to take place.
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