Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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78. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if the Planning and Development (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2018 will be extended beyond the end of 2021; if so, when they will expire; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6155/21]

Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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The Planning and Development (Amendment) (No.2) Regulations 2018, which came into operation on 8 February 2018, provide for an exemption from the requirement to obtain planning permission in respect of the change of use of certain vacant commercial premises, including vacant areas above ground floor premises, to residential use.

This measure is aimed at facilitating the productive re-use of qualifying vacant commercial buildings as homes, while also facilitating urban renewal and the bringing on stream of increased housing supply.

The Regulations operate for a limited period until 31 December 2021, which has now been extended to 25 February 2022 arising from the Covid-related shutdown of the planning system for 8 weeks during the period March to May 2020, which extended all planning timelines by 8 weeks.

The exemptions provided for in the Planning Regulations are kept under regular review. While I have no current plans to amend this Regulation, it will be reviewed before its expiry and if an extension to the timeframe for its operation is deemed appropriate, I will bring forward the necessary legislative amendments. Amendments to exempted development regulations require the approval of both houses of the Oireachtas before they can be signed into law.