Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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573. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government to report on the implementation of the Ministerial Action Plan on Planning Resources; if each of the five working groups (details supplied) has been formally established; the number of times each working group has met since it was established; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2220/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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On 15 October 2024, my Department published a Ministerial Action Plan on Planning Resources to respond to capacity challenges in the planning sector. This Action Plan provides a detailed roadmap to increase the pool of planning and related expertise needed to ensure a planning system fit for future needs. It sets out 14 high-level actions that provide a coordinated pathway to ensure a sustainable pipeline of planning and related expertise into the future, addressing the areas of education, recruitment and retention, as well as measures to encourage greater innovation and efficiency.

Funding was secured in Budget 2025 to support delivery of the Action Plan and the Steering Group met on four occasions throughout 2024 and are scheduled to meet again in February 2025. This Steering Group will remain in place to oversee the implementation and ongoing review of the Action Plan.

The Action Plan proposes the formation of five Working Groups to progress grouped actions in the areas of education, national recruitment, international recruitment, system reform and innovation and efficiency, and identifies stakeholder organisations for each Working Group (Chapter 6 paragraph 6.3 of the Action Plan).

The working groups will be finalised in the coming weeks to progress grouped actions of the plan on a priority basis. A copy of the Action Plan can be accessed on my Department’s website at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/publication/51194-ministerial-action-plan-on-planning-resources-october-2024/