There were heated exchanges at the recent Killarney Municipal District meeting.
Senior Planner at Kerry County Council, Damien Ginty said it is acceptable for someone to buy a site and build a house in the vast majority of the district.
Council figures show 78% of all planning applications for single rural dwellings in the Killarney area were granted permission since the current County Development Plan was adopted in 2022, the highest of any MD.
Damien Ginty said the "overwhelming majority" of Killarney MD is zoned as a 'rural area under urban influence' in which one-off houses are allowed, and not as a 'rural area under significant urban influence', where planning is more restrictive.
Councillor Brendan Cronin said anecdotal evidence suggests the real number of refusals is "well in excess of double" the official figure, because it does not include people told by private engineers and architects "not to waste their money" applying for planning permission.
Councillor Marie Moloney said constituents think councillors "are off their rockers" for zoning decisions, which were actually made by council management, citing a case in which a couple were told Cockhill is under 'significant urban influence'.
Cathaoirleach Niall Kelleher said councillors will have to encourage all would-be applicants to go for pre-planning so more acurate refusal statistics can be gleaned.
Senior Planner Damien Ginty reminded councillors that the County Development Plan is a democratic process, that pre-planning is a free service, and asked the public not to solely rely on the planning advice of engineers and architects.
Damien Ginty said the "overwhelming majority" of Killarney MD is zoned as a 'rural area under urban influence' in which one-off houses are allowed, and not as a 'rural areas under significant urban influence', where planning is more restrictive.
This provoked the ire of several councillors, who disputed the claim.
Councillor Maura Healy-Rae told the meeting the County Development Plan impacted Killarney MD "more acutely than anywhere else"; adding it is 'non sensical' that a local person cannot get planning for a site they bought from a non-family member in the local area in which they grew up and live now.
Council executives told the meeting that 78% of all planning applications for single rural dwellings in the Killarney area were granted permission since the current County Development Plan was adopted in 2022, the highest of any MD.
Councillor Brendan Cronin said anecdotal evidence suggests the real number of refusals is "well in excess of double" the official figure, because it does not include people told by private engineers and architects "not to waste their money" applying for planning permission.
Councillor Niall ‘Botty’ O’Callaghan said the Office of the Planning Regulator has created 'a monster' when it created 'rural areas under significant urban influence' zones.
Councillor John O’Donoghue said some of the biggest areas in the district, which are zoned to allow people buy sites and build a home, are either mountain or within Killarney National Park, so not suitable for building.
Councillor Marie Moloney said constituents think councillors "are off their rockers" for zoning decisions, which were actually made by council management, citinga case in which a couple were told Cockhill is under 'significant urban influence'.
Cathaoirleach Niall Kelleher said councillors will have to encourage all would-be applicants to go for pre-planning so that more accurate refusal statistics can be gleaned
Senior Planner Damien Ginty reminded councillors that the County Development Plan is a democratic process, that pre-planning is a free service, and asked the public not to solely rely on the planning advice of engineers and architect.
