Dr. Conor O'Toole:

We have all outlined planning as one of the frictions in the system, which it clearly is. You would hope that streamlining the process would help to unlock supply, not just in the short term, but in the medium term, by building a more resilient and flexible system. There have obviously been changes with the new Planning and Development Act. It has aimed to better integrate all the pieces, from the national planning framework down to the local areas. It is looking to streamline the judicial review process and related elements. Rather than more policy changes, we need to see how that will work in practice, because it is often the practical implementation rather than the legislation that matters for the outcomes. In any democratic system, a right of appeal is needed, which is still there. The question is how the new reforms will work in practice. That will be a key asset test going forward.