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

I thank the Deputy for his question. The Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Act 2016 introduced what the previous Government defined as a new streamlined arrangement to enable planning applications for strategic housing developments, SHDs, of 100 units or more or student or shared accommodation developments of 200 bed spaces or more to be made directly to An Bord Pleanála for determination.

Section 4(2) of the Act provided for the possibility of the extension of the SHD arrangements beyond their initial end date of 31 December 2019 to 31 December 2021. The Deputy will be aware of that. This is subject to the undertaking of a review of the operation and effectiveness of the SHD arrangements and the laying of a report, as well as the Minister's conclusions on that report, before each House of the Oireachtas.

In this regard, an the external SHD development review group was established by the previous Minister in June 2019. The report of the review group was received by the previous Minister on 24 September 2019.

The previous Minister signed an order on 2 December 2019 to extend the SHD arrangements to 31 December 2021, which is the end date of the Rebuilding Ireland - Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness. That is the maximum period for which SHD arrangement could be extended under the Act. Copies of the reports are available on my Department's website. I am sure the Deputy has one.

The new Programme for Government: Our Shared Future commits to not extending the SHD arrangements beyond their legislative expiry date of 31 December 2021. I give a commitment again in the House that there will be no further extension to the SHD arrangements. Given that a recent review was carried out, I have no plans to initiate a further review of the SHD provisions prior to the expiry of those arrangements. I will not extend them beyond 31 December 2021.

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