Independent Ireland leader, Michael Collins has described existing rural housing guidelines as a "semi-tortuous bureaucratic process that is the regulatory equivalent of waterboarding".

The TD for Cork South - West raised the matter in the Dáil this week with Taoiseach, Micheál Martin, where he highlighted the example of constituents who have incurred significant expense while trying to navigate the complex rural planning process.

“In Independent Ireland we promote our three 'S' rule on rural housing; simplify, streamline, support," he said.

According to Deputy Collins, the review of the existing Sustainable Rural Housing Development Guidelines for local authorities is still ongoing, but there is no timeline on when this review will end and when the new guidelines will come into effect.

The Independent Ireland TD explained that he is not calling for a "free-for-all system" on rural planning.

"I am arguing that we must have a far more flexible approach to planning that is responsive and which actively makes it easier for families to build on their own land or in the localities in which they were born and reared," he said.

“Planning should maximise the common good for people, not deliberately obstruct it, as the existing rural guidelines clearly do.

"We need a radical but responsible change in approach that caters to the greatest degree possible to the wishes of rural families and their desire to set down roots,” he concluded.

Last month, Independent Ireland TD, Michael Fitzmaurice said the government needs “to take a completely different look at rural housing” when it comes to letting people build on their family farms.

The Roscommon-Galway TD believes that if “a person’s family comes from a farm, or whatever, they should be able to build on that farm”.

He said this will help to deliver new houses in rural areas.

“This is about an emergency now,” the Independent Ireland TD added.