Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

Amendment No. 331 relates to section 41 and the written statement of a development plan and seeks to require that such a statement allow for the zoning of land for the particular use of providing affordable housing, as defined in Parts 2 and 3 of the Affordable Housing Act 2021. The purpose of land use zoning is to indicate the development management objectives of the planning authority’s administrative area. Generally, these objectives are residential, commercial, industrial, agricultural, recreational, open spaces, otherwise or a mixture of those uses. While land is zoned for residential use, it is not appropriate to designate the housing type or tenure to be attached to such zonings.

Sections 44 and 45 require that the preparation of a housing development strategy as part of the development plan must include both objectives to secure the implementation of the housing strategy prepared under section 219 and be materially consistent with that strategy. This includes any of the matters referred to in section 219(5), such as the need to ensure that housing is available for persons with different levels of income.