Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael)
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262. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will address a matter (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10326/23]

Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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311. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the measures his Department is taking to ensure self-catering tourist accommodation providers operating from their primary place of residence in rural sections of rent pressure zones will be exempted from the specific planning permissions required under the Short-Term Lettings Enforcement Bill 2022; and if accommodations, through granted planning or planning exemptions, will be made for self-catering properties in which bedrooms are not attached to the main home, but are still indivisible parts of the property folio. [10228/23]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 262 and 311 together.

On 7 December 2022 the Government approved the publication of the General Scheme of the Registration of Short-Term Tourist Letting Bill and the priority drafting of the Bill which provides for the establishment of a new registration system for short-term lettings to be operated by Fáilte Ireland in line with the commitment under Housing for All, the Government's housing policy and action plan. This work is being led by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media.

Updated Planning Guidelines on short-term letting, which are aimed at providing clarity on the planning permission and exemption requirements for properties operating in this area in both rent pressure zones and more rural areas and which will also address the issue of properties where bedrooms may not be attached to the main home, are currently being prepared by my Department to supplement the Registration of Short-Term Tourist Letting Bill. It is intended that the updated guidelines will be published on the enactment of the Bill. In light of the commitment in Housing for All to address this issue, it is not intended to amend the planning requirements in respect of short-term letting.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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263. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will set out in detail his ministerial directions on county development plans in 2021, 2022, and January 2023 to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9470/23]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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The Minister is empowered under section 31 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 to direct a planning authority to take measures to ensure that its development plan complies with national or regional planning policy, upon receipt of a recommendation from the Office of the Planning Regulator (OPR).

The decision to issue or not to issue a Direction rests with the Minister, or the Minister of State where this function has been formally delegated. The process is informed by a period of public consultation and detailed assessment of the issues arising, including consideration of the views of the elected members and the recommendation(s) of the local authority’s chief executive.

In the period in question, final Directions have issued to the following planning authorities in connection with their development plans.

With the exception of the Direction to Wicklow County Council, which issued in February 2023, all of the above Directions issued in 2022. In addition, final decisions are yet to be made with regard to draft directions issued to Galway City Council and Kilkenny County Council.

The Directions issued in the period in question covered a broad range of complex planning issues, including, but not limited to, inappropriate land use zoning objectives, renewable energy policy, and flood risk. Copies of the Directions issued may be accessed on the OPR’s website at the following link: www.opr.ie/recommendations-made-by-the-opr-to-the-minister/

Directions issued are also laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas and are placed on my Department's website. Where I, as Minister, do not agree with a recommendation of the Office a written statement of reasons is prepared, and this statement is also laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas and placed on my Department’s website.

It is worth noting that the OPR publishes quarterly activity reports on its website that provide an overview of its plan evaluation activity.