Michael Cahill (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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592. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if a controlled derogation of planning permission law can be introduced during the term of this Government, to allow for an increase in the number of homes being built for young families, many of whom have access to family land, but cannot obtain permission to build due to spatial planning guidelines; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2558/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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All development proposals require planning permission unless they are specifically exempted under the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended (the Act) or the supplementary Planning and Development Regulations, 2001, as amended (the Regulations).

Since the publication of the current Sustainable Rural Housing Guidelines in 2005 (which continue to have effect in addition to subsequent clarifications and national policy changes in the National Planning Framework (NPF) published in 2018) there have been important changes to our planning system. Most notably, obligations under European Directives and international agreements relating to the management and protection of the environment and adapting to and mitigating climate change have become more central to the operation of the planning system.

The NPF fully supports the sustainable development of rural areas and the need to ensure that they continue to be viable places to live, work and invest in. National Policy Objective (NPO) 19 of the NPF relates to rural housing. This objective makes a clear policy distinction between rural areas under urban influence (i.e. areas within the commuter catchment of cities, towns and centres of employment) on the one hand, and structurally weaker rural areas where population levels may be low or declining, on the other. NPO 19 is aligned with the established approach whereby considerations of social or economic need are to be applied by planning authorities in rural areas under urban influence.

Local authority development plans make provision for housing in the countryside based on the considerations detailed in NPO 19 of the NPF, and will also highlight the need to manage development in certain areas, such as the areas around cities and larger towns and environmentally sensitive areas, in order to avoid over-development.

It is noted that there has been a strong tradition of rural housing construction in Ireland, with a significant proportion of all delivery nationally for the last 30 years falling within this category. Rural housing continues to be an important component of new housing delivery with on average c.4,000-5,000 new rural dwellings being built annually.