Seán Fleming (Laois, Fianna Fail)
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36. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the action he is taking to ensure that additional land is zoned for housing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12680/25]

Pat Gallagher (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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64. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government his plans to increase the quantum of zoned and serviced land to accommodate new homes through the implementation of a revised National Planning Framework. [12722/25]

Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North-Central, Fianna Fail)
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96. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government when he envisions the publication of the review into the National Planning Framework; the measures he is considering to increase the amount of zoned land nationally; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12397/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 36, 64 and 96 together.

The National Planning Framework (NPF) (2018), together with the National Development Plan 2021 (NDP), combine to form Project Ireland 2040, the overarching planning and investment framework for the social, economic and cultural development of Ireland.

The NPF sets out high-level national policies and objectives, which are essential to achieving proper planning and sustainable development, with a clear vision to guide future development and investment decisions. The strategy sets out the spatial planning policy approach to accommodating projected population growth to 2040 in a manner which delivers balanced regional development, based on a city-focused and compact growth pattern of development that will reverse the patterns of sprawl that have been a feature over recent decades.

In 2023, Government approved the commencement of the process of revising the current NPF, and a Draft Revised NPF was published for public consultation in July 2024. The Draft Revised NPF sets out a need to plan for the delivery of approximately 50,000 additional homes per annum every year to 2040.

In order to finalise the Revision of the National Planning Framework, Government will be required to approve a final Revised NPF following the conclusion of the environmental assessments in the coming weeks. Further to the approval by Government, the final draft will then be submitted to the Houses of the Oireachtas for final approval.

Further to the finalisation of the Revision process, a key next step is to address the spatial distribution of housing needs through updated planned housing requirements on a local authority by local authority basis. The zoning of land for particular purposes, including housing, is an exercise undertaken by planning authorities as part of their overall statutory plan function generally as part of a development plan under sections 9 to 13 of the Planning and Development Act, 2000 (as amended), but can at present also be carried out as part of a local area plan (LAP) process. The making of a development plan or an LAP is a reserved function of the elected members of each authority.

In preparing their statutory plans, including in relation to the zoning of land for particular purposes, the elected members are required to consider and be consistent with, the established statutory national and regional planning policy and legislation, including as identified in the National Planning Framework, Regional Spatial and Economic Strategies and relevant Ministerial planning guidelines.

The key next step further to the finalisation of the NPF Revision is to address, through the issuing of further policy direction by the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, the spatial distribution of the housing requirement by local authority area through the provision of updated planned housing requirements on a local authority by local authority basis, that will also ensure that more land is zoned than will actually be required in order to ensure competition and choice in the land market.

This will enable local authorities to zone more land for housing purposes and will also enable strategic planning for Transport Orientated Development opportunities in and around Ireland’s five Cities to support the delivery of new sustainable communities at brownfield and greenfield locations along existing or planned high capacity public transport corridors.