Albert Dolan (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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433. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government when the Planning and Development Act 2024 draft exempted regulations will be published; and when the public consultation period is set to commence. [5744/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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The Planning and Development Act 2024 (the 2024 Act) was signed into law on the 17 October 2024 and represents a significant reform of the planning system, consolidating over 20 years of planning legislation. The Act will be commenced on a phased basis from 2025 and will be accompanied by new regulations which will replace the Planning and Development Regulations 2001, as amended (2001 Regulations).

The commencement of the 2024 Act is in itself a task of considerable complexity and scale and is a priority for Government as set out in the Programme for Government 2025 – Securing Ireland’s Future. It should be noted that the existing provisions in the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended (the 2000 Act), and the accompanying 2001 Regulations, will remain in place until the relevant provisions in the 2024 Act are commenced.

My Department is currently in the process of preparing updated regulations to accompany the 2024 Act. This will include updated Planning and Development (Exempted Development) Regulations. Prior to drafting these specific regulations, my Department will shortly engage with other Government Departments, and bodies under their aegis, to provide input on any policy issues that need to be considered whilst drafting the updated regulations as appropriate. Following this, a public consultation will be held in due course in 2025 on exempted development with the basis for such consultation being the provisions currently contained within Schedule 2 of the 2001 Regulations.

Once these consultations are finished, draft regulations will be prepared and will be laid before the Oireachtas. Exempted Development Regulations will require positive resolutions from both Houses of the Oireachtas and the commencement of the relevant sections of the 2024 Act before they can become law.