One-off rural housing in Mayo questioned in storm aftermath

The government ignored an expert group’s recommendations to restrict one-off rural housing or face problems caused by lack of services 'strained infrastructure and car dependency', according to a report in the Irish Independent.

Their warnings have been echoed in the fall-out from Storm Éowyn, with agencies saying widely dispersed development has made power and water networks vulnerable and slowed service restoration.

Environment Minister Darragh O’Brien appointed the expert group during his last term as housing minister.

The experts said the policy of allowing scattered single dwellings was ­'laissez-faire' and 'inherently unsustainable'.

However, the new Programme for Government has shied away from change, stating the Coalition will “continue to support one-off, rural housing”.

The issue is hugely politically sensitive and a review of rural housing guidelines begun eight years ago is still not complete, the report continued.

Around one in four houses built in Ireland is unattached to any existing settlement, with between 5,000 and 7,500 more being added annually over the last four years.

The challenges of dispersed development has been highlighted repeatedly since Storm Éowyn hit the country.

ESB Networks defended its performance in the aftermath of Story Eowyn, stating the spread-out nature of rural housing left cabling more exposed.

“The distribution system comprises 150,000km of overhead lines,” it said.

“In serving Ireland’s large rural population, the network length per capita is four times the European average and overhead lines outnumber underground cables 6:1.”