Conor Sheehan (Limerick City, Labour)
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1451. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government to publish in full any correspondence from the Land Development Agency in relation to the changes in design guidelines for apartments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41425/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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The Planning Design Standards for Apartments Guidelines for Planning Authorities, 2025 “the Guidelines” were issued under Section 28 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 (Act of 2000). Section 28 provides that planning authorities and An Coimisiún Pleanála shall have regard to Ministerial guidelines in the performance of their functions. Where the Guidelines contain specific planning policy requirements (SPPRs), planning authorities and An Coimisiún Pleanála are required to comply with these requirements in the performance of their functions.

The revised National Planning Framework (NPF) sets out the need to plan for approximately 50,000 additional households per annum to 2040, and reaffirms the Government’s commitment to sustainable development and compact growth. This will require a substantial increase in housing output of all types, and need a renewed focus on the delivery of apartments, particularly in central urban areas and in locations accessible to high quality public transport services.

Viability presents an ongoing challenge to housing delivery. This is particularly relevant for the delivery of apartments, where a considerable gap has emerged between the cost of delivering apartment development and comparable general housing market prices. Increased costs also present an ongoing challenge to the delivery of social and affordable housing schemes. The overall purpose of the Guidelines is to reduce costs and strike an effective regulatory balance, ensuring that apartment development meets the needs of society in terms of standards and quality, while promoting an increased level of output overall.

The preparation of the Guidelines were informed by cost estimates provided to my Department by the Land Development Agency (LDA). These estimates explored potential cost savings relating to a range of individual measures. The LDA has advised that the information provided is of a commercially sensitive nature and have asked for it to remain confidential. As such it would not be appropriate to release this information to the general public at this time. My Department has therefore prepared the summary at the following link of the cost considerations for publication.

">New Apartment Planning Standards Cost Considerations July 2025