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The Candidate
The Explainer
2 Jul 2026
More houses in rural Ireland sounds great until you ask about the buses
00:00

Housing Minister James Browne has announced the biggest shake-up to rural planning rules in two decades. It should be easier for people to build homes in the countryside, but there's no target for how many new homes this will deliver and no new transport or services to go with it. These changes were "imminent" in 2021. Now, five years and one Green Party exit later, here they are.


Christine Bohan, Jane Matthews and Rónán Duffy ask whether this is real policy or vibes-based housing.


Also: Ireland took over the EU Council presidency this week and most of the country barely noticed. The ceremony at Dublin Castle was lovely but it was Zelensky who made the headlines.