Catherine Ardagh (Dublin South Central, Fianna Fail)
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86. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government for a report on the revised national planning framework; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24645/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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On 20 June 2023, Government gave approval to commence the process of undertaking the First Revision of the National Planning Framework. The National Planning Framework (NPF), is the whole-of-Government strategy for strategic planning and sustainable development of our urban and rural areas to 2040, with the core objectives of securing balanced regional development and a sustainable ‘compact growth’ approach to the form and pattern of future development.

The revision process was finalised and approved by Government and the Oireachtas in April 2025. The revised NPF will directly inform the wider Government policy agenda, the actions of a broad range of public and private bodies, including homebuilders, the renewable energy sector, infrastructure agencies and domestic and international investors.

A number of key drivers of change in Ireland were a significant focus for the revision process, and the final framework document sets a transformational agenda to cater for:

Population growth and the associated housing requirement

The need to plan for a population of between 6.1 to 6.3 million people by 2040, and to plan for approximately 50,000 additional housing units per annum over that period. This reflects the latest research and modelling by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), which forecasts substantial population growth over the next decade, and also accounts for unmet demand and need. The Revised NPF, with the subsequent provision of updated planned housing growth requirements at a local authority level, aims to ensure that housing supply meets both new demand and addresses existing need, creating a sustainable future for housing in Ireland.

Infrastructure Delivery

In order to ensure that the revised population projections and related housing requirements can be delivered on, service provision will also require co-ordination and prioritisation to ensure that the necessary infrastructure is in place, both to support and enable housing development to take place, and to ensure that housing delivery is aligned with the provision of services and facilities for communities. This includes the provision of education, childcare, healthcare and recreational facilities to support the expansion of existing settlements and the creation of new sustainable communities.

In addition to accounting for the ESRI’s baseline projection of 6.1m people by 2040, the NPF also includes provision for strategic planning for up to 6.3 million people by 2040 (the ESRI high migration scenario), which is required to be aligned with strategic planning for Transport Orientated Development (TOD) 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.

Climate and Environment

A further significant area of policy development relates to planning for climate change in the context of an accelerating climate crisis. Accordingly, the revised NPF has included new policies in relation to renewable energy development, including the identification of regional renewable electricity capacity allocations in order to facilitate the accelerated roll-out and delivery of renewable electricity infrastructure for on-shore wind and solar generation development and to support the achievement of the 2030 national targets set out in the Climate Action Plan.

The Revised NPF also acknowledges the clear link between climate action and the potential for investment generation and employment and jobs, including in connection with the offshore wind industry and green technology.

Next Steps

The revised NPF will provide the basis for the review and updating of regional strategies and local authority development plans to reflect matters such as updated housing figures, projected jobs growth and renewable energy capacity allocations, including through the zoning of land for residential, employment and a range of other purposes. The implementation of the Planning and Development Act 2024 will also be closely aligned with the implementation of the revised NPF, with updated regional strategies and new 10-year development plans required to reflect the revised NPF as they are prepared.

The revision to housing requirements in local plans and the associated zoning changes will be undertaken as part of a wider assessment at city/county level, to ensure that we have a strong strategic plan-led approach to future housing development that is based on the relevant up to date legislative and policy framework.

Implementing the NPF revisions in this manner will ensure that future decisions in relation to planning applications can be made in a robust and efficient manner, assisted by the statutory decision-making timelines contained within the Planning and Development Act 2024.

A copy of the National Planning Framework – First Revision with the associated environmental documents is available to view at www.npf.ie.