Rural housing policy has received significant attention in recent years, essentially in response to the large increase in the construction of one-off housing in rural areas. The National Spatial Strategy 2002-2020 (NSS), published December 2002, intended to provide for the first time an explicit national framework for dealing with spatial issues. NSS policy for the sustainable development of rural areas focuses on the promotion of concentrated village-type settlements and the restriction of one-off housing construction.

The introduction of such policy has led to a contentious debate, played out at national and local levels. This debate has been characterised by conflicting interpretations of rural sustainability and the perceived imbalance in importance attributed to its social, economic and environmental dimensions. Recent government guidelines have, in theory, loosened restrictions on one-off housing construction. However, concerns have arisen regarding a lack of uniformity in adoption and implementation of rural housing policy and guidelines at local level.

This research project addresses these issues which are of considerable importance in contemporary Irish rural studies. It comprehensively reviews national policy relating to sustainable rural development paying particular attention to the manner and context in which it has been formulated and the external factors involved in this process.

This project investigates the manner in which local authorities have incorporated government policies relating to sustainable rural housing into the settlement strategies and rural housing policies for employment in their administrative areas. It examines the accuracy with which rural housing polices/settlement strategies adopted by local councillors are implemented by planners.

This project considers the consequences for the individual/household of the decision-making power held by the County Manager to grant/refuse planning permission for one-off housing.