Gillian Toole (Meath East, Independent)
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847. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the direction being given to local authorities for balanced, common-good and needs-based planning in the areas of renewable energy production, social infrastructure and housing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30421/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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The National Planning Framework (NPF) is a broad national plan for strategic planning and sustainable development of urban and rural areas, with the objectives of securing balanced regional development and a sustainable approach to the form and pattern of future development.

The Revised NPF was approved by Government and the Oireachtas in April 2025. This concluded the Revision process and allows the revised NPF to take effect in the planning system. The Revised NPF provides the basis for the review and updating of Regional Spatial and Economic 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.

In relation to renewable energy, the Revised NPF includes new policies relating to the allocation of regional renewable electricity capacity allocations. This is in order to facilitate the accelerated roll-out and delivery of renewable electricity infrastructure for on-shore wind and solar generation development intended to support the achievement of the national targets set out in the Climate Action Plan.

From a strategic policy development perspective, the Revised NPF sets out that each Regional Assembly plan must, through their Regional Spatial and Economic Strategies, for the delivery of the Regional Target Power Capacity (MW) allocations for onshore wind and solar electricity. The regional strategies will be required to break down the regional capacity allocations into county level capacity allocations that will inform the updating/preparation of local level development plans. This will result in the identification of suitable areas where such development should be directed.

The Revised NPF indicates a need to plan for approximately 50,000 housing units annually between now and 2040. Further to the finalisation of the NPF Revision process, it is intended to issue updated planned housing growth requirements at a city and county level to each local authority, to provide the basis for a significant increase in the capacity for housing to be delivered, in line with updated population and housing projections. This will require more land to be zoned, which will require co-ordination and prioritisation to ensure that the necessary infrastructure is in place both to support and enable housing delivery, and to ensure that housing delivery is aligned with the provision of services and facilities including education, childcare, healthcare and recreational facilities to support the expansion of existing settlements and the creation of new sustainable communities.

A further new element of NPF strategy results from the requirement to plan for population growth with a baseline 6.1m projection set out by the ESRI, and a potential need to plan for growth in line with the high migration scenario provided in the ESRI’s Report (6.3m). This is to be undertaken and delivered in line with longer term strategic planning for Transport Orientated Development (TOD) in 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. In terms of identifying locations for further growth and housing development at scale, it is critical that planning for these opportunities is aligned with phased infrastructure investment.

Responsibility for the zoning of land at a local authority level rests with the elected members of a local 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, as appropriate, the National Planning Framework, the relevant Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy and relevant Ministerial planning guidelines.

Gillian Toole (Meath East, Independent)
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848. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the professional qualifications required by local authority planners, to adjudicate on renewable energy projects submitted for planning permission; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30422/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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Section 160 of the Local Government Act 2001 provides the Minister with the power to declare qualifications of such classes and descriptions as he or she thinks fit for a specified employment under a local authority or for such of the employments as belong to a specified class, description or grade.

Orders made under section 160 of the Local Government Act 2001 declaring qualifications for planning roles in the local government sector are available on my Department's website at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/department-of-housing-local-government-and-heritage/collections/planning-services-in-local-authorities-qualifications/

Conor Sheehan (Limerick City, Labour)
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849. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government his view on considering the inclusion of critical infrastructure such as water treatment plants in the new exempted development regulations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30445/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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While the Planning and Development Act 2024 was enacted in October 2024, it is in the process of being commenced. The provisions of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, and associated Planning and Development Regulations 2001 remain in force until the relevant sections of the Act of 2024 are commenced and the corresponding sections of the Act of 2000 are repealed

A review of the current Exempted Development Regulations is ongoing and engagement with Government Bodies is due to be completed in the coming weeks. Engagement is also underway with statutory undertakers such as Uisce Éireann, GNI, Eirgrid and ESB. Following this, a wider public consultation on exempted development regulations will be undertaken later this month. Members of the public, state bodies and other concerned parties will be able to make submissions in writing as part of the consultation process.

At this stage I do not wish to pre-empt the outcome of any consultation and therefore no decision has been made in respect of any revisions to current exempted development provisions. This includes exemptions relating to critical infrastructure, such as water treatment facilities. Any update to Exempted Development Regulations will require positive resolutions by both Houses of the Oireachtas before it can be signed into law.