Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North-Central, Fianna Fail)
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485. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will outline and publish in detail the selection criteria to be followed by local authorities in identifying urban development zones (UDZs); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33578/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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My Departmentrecently wrote to the Local Authorities and other key stakeholders to notify them of the commencement of Chapters 1 and 2 of Part 22 of the Planning and Development Act 2024 (Act of 2024). These legislative provisions set out the initial steps in a broader process concerning the designation of a candidate ‘urban development zone’ and ‘UDZ’, with details of the commencement set out in Planning and Development Act 2024 Commencement Circular No. 2025/01.

The overall aim of theUDZprocess under Part 22 of the Act of 2024 is to providefor an updated and more flexible approach to themasterplanningand delivery ofareas with significant potential for large scale development, including residential development, in tandem with the associated supporting infrastructure. The UDZ process, when fully enacted, will replace the existing Strategic Development Zone (SDZ) process under Part IX of the Planning and DevelopmentAct 2000.

Only Chapters 1 and 2 of Part 22 consistingof sections 597 to 600came into operation from 9 June 2025. It is anticipated that the remaining Chapters of Part 22 (providing for matters such as candidate UDZs, planning frameworks, development schemes and UDZ designation) will come into effect alongside Part 3 of the Act of 2024.

Under Section 597 of the Act of 2024 a planning authority may identify sites in its functional areas where development may be of significant economic, social or environmental benefit to the State and be in the common good. Such sites are referred to as “suitablesites”. It is intended that the UDZ designation will be most appropriate for large-scale urban areas in single or multiple land ownerships, that could include public and/or private lands, which have good public transport links and where comprehensive regeneration and development opportunities exist.

Given the significant scale of development proposed and the need to prioritise these areas for development, they are intended to be a focus for State investment, in particular in terms of infrastructure investment. UDZs will appropriately be located in areas which are under-utilised and are within or in close proximity to established settlements, in order to ensure that development responds to the compact growth objectives set out within the National Planning Framework. Due to the strategic scale and transport-led nature of candidate UDZs and UDZs, the designation would not be appropriate for smaller-scale development areas, however other provisions within the Act of 2024, such as those provisions which relate to Priority Area Plans, would be more appropriate for this purpose.