Local Housing Need - Galway

You could try digging through the links here, you might find something! http://www.galway.ie/en/services/planning/developmentplansandpolicy/galwaycountydevelopmentplan2015-2021/

I'm from Galway (county) too and I'm going through the early stages of the planning process also. The site I hope to build on also has a "local need" criteria attached. My understanding of it is, you need to show strong intrinsic links to that local area. So in my case for example, my parents/family home is in very close proximity to the site I wish to build on. I attended the local school, I'm a member of the local GAA club, etc. The key one is - proving my long term link to the area - the land registry details of my parents home, my birth cert and a letter from the school help to prove this.

Your case is a bit different - he's from Newcastle - which probably falls inside the city boundary (so under the remit of the City Council) and you're looking to build in the county (under the remit of County Council), a good distance from Newcastle. Establishing a local need to build in Barna/Spiddal could be difficult I imagine, having no actual intrinsic links to those areas. Do you actually have a site in mind?

I'd recommend contacting a local consulting engineer who specialise in planning and they'd quickly be able to give you a good idea of where you stand.