Carol Nolan (Laois-Offaly, Independent)
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373.To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if his Department will be prioritising the progression of any specific pieces of legislation prior to the Dáil summer recess; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24705/24]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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The Government Legislation Programme for the Summer 2024 Session, which was published on 16 April 2024, sets out my Department's priority legislation and can be accessed at the following weblink:

www.gov.ie/en/publication/edb3c-government-legislation-programme-2024/

Importantly, the Planning and Development Bill 2023 remains a top priority for me and the Government, and commences Report and Final Stages in the Dáil today, 11 June 2024.

This landmark piece of legislation is the culmination of a comprehensive review by the Office of the Attorney General of the Planning and Development Act 2000, which has been in operation for more than two decades, and itself an update of planning laws that had been in place for forty years at that time. The Bill ensures that the planning system remains fit for purpose to meet the needs of future population, whilst balancing key pillars of the Irish planning system such as public participation, environmental considerations and delivery of key infrastructure such as roads, housing and renewable energy. This is achieved by enhancing clarity, improving consistency and increasing confidence in the planning system as a whole.