Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

It is important to note that local authorities can still refuse on grounds of lack of infrastructure, wastewater treatment and all of that. The Bill does not provide that permission for an application must be granted. Rather, it provides that where a planning authority has reached its housing supply targets set out in its development plan, that would not be a sole ground for an application being refused. I am not saying that is necessarily happening. We have talked about the review of the NPF and the need to meet the demand of a growing population and deliver more homes. The interpretation of the headroom has been different in different planning authorities. I have seen that in real terms. We want to make sure that applications will not be refused for the sole reason that housing supply targets are being met based on the permissions granted converting to a certain number of homes within a particular area as opposed to those targets actually being met. That is far too restrictive and it speaks against a plan-led approach. This provision is contrary to that and would assist in a plan-led approach and being able to plan further, particularly when we look at different conversion rates of permissions in different parts of the country. The purpose of this is to ensure a planning authority does not find its hands tied on the basis of reaching the housing supply target in its development plan and it can plan for further developments of zoned land that has been identified in the development plan.