Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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285. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if the building control section of his Department was consulted on the exempted development planning regulations related to the provision of temporary accommodation for people seeking international protection and people in receipt of temporary protection orders. [8125/23]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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The Planning and Development (Exempted Development) (No. 4) Regulations 2022 were introduced to assist the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (MCEDIY) in meeting Ireland’s legal obligation to provide accommodation to international protection applicants. The Regulations amend Part 1 of Schedule 2, entitled ‘Exempted Development -General’, to the Planning and Development Regulations 2001, as amended, to insert a new Class 20F exemption.

The European Union (Planning and Development) (Displaced Persons from Ukraine Temporary Protection) Regulations 2022 were introduced in response to the emerging Ukrainian crisis. The Regulations give effect to Council Directive No 2001/55 EC and Council Implementing Decision EU 2022/382 of 04 March 2022 (European Council Decision) to provide immediate protection in EU countries for persons displaced by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, including the need to provide emergency accommodation and support to these displaced persons.

The Regulations provide that the provisions of the Planning and Development Act 2000 (other than the environmental considerations in Sections 181A to 181C) will not apply to certain classes of development by or on behalf of a State Authority for the purposes of providing temporary protection to displaced persons as specified in the Regulations.

In both instances, the Building Standards Advisory Unit of my Department were consulted on the draft regulations prior to their finalisation.

It should be noted that neither the granting of planning permission, or the provision of an exemption from the requirement to obtain planning permission, removes the requirement to comply with any other statutory code, particularly in relation to the Building Regulations, including fire safety.