Grace Boland (Dublin Fingal West, Fine Gael)
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519. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will undertake a review of the planning permission required for people who wish to build log cabins on their property; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7626/25]

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 2000 Act) or the supplementary Planning and Development Regulations, 2001, as amended (the 2001 Regulations).

When a person submits a planning application for a house (including modular housing or log cabins) under section 34 of the 2000 Act, irrespective of whether the proposed development is located in an urban or rural location in any county, the relevant planning authority, in making its decision, shall have regard to the proper planning and sustainable development of the area. It is a matter for the relevant planning authority to consider each application on a case-by-case basis and to decide to whether to grant the permission, subject to or without conditions, or to refuse permission.Whilst the Planning and Development Act 2024 was signed in October 2024 (the 2024 Act), it is not yet commenced and the provisions of the 2000 Act remain in force.

Updating of current Exempted Development Regulations will take place following a public consultation in 2025 as part of the process of commencing the provisions of the 2024 Act. Members of the public, State bodies and other concerned parties will be invited to make submissions in writing as part of the consultation process.

The Government cannot pre-empt the outcome of any consultation and therefore no decision has been made in respect of any revisions to current exempted development provisions for small modular/log cabin type dwellings.

Any update to Exempted Development Regulations will require positive resolutions by both Houses of the Oireachtas before it can be signed into law.