Albert Dolan (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

1563. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government to consider introducing emergency legislation to expedite housing developments for the general population as has been done in response to accommodation needs under IPAS given the urgency of the ongoing housing crisis. [42668/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Planning and Development Act 2024 (Act of 2024) introduces a number of key reforms to the planning process that will assist the delivery of housing, including:

• the introduction of mandatory statutory time periods for decisions on all consent processes including, for the first time, for An Coimisiún Pleanála - to give confidence and certainty to both the public and stakeholders involved in the delivery of key infrastructure such as housing,
• 10-year Development Plans that will be more strategic in nature, including an interim review of the plan after 5 years to provide greater certainty that there is sufficient zoned land available to align with the needs of the housing and economic development,
• significant reforms to the planning judicial review processes and the introduction of an ability to suspend the duration of a permission while it is subject to judicial review proceedings, so as not to lose the time available for completing a development,
• measures to deter any misuse of planning processes through spurious planning submissions and appeals and a ban on requesting payment for not opposing development,

• provide for targeted measures on a temporary basis to address unactivated permissions that are due to expire shortly,
• ensure that the updated housing requirements in the Revised National Planning Framework (NPF) can be incorporated into the planning system as quickly as possible and to give clarity to the sector that this can be done under the Act of 2000 while the Act of 2024 is being commenced, and
• allow for an existing permission for residential development to be modified in order to take account of the Planning Design Standards for Apartments, Guidelines for Planning Authorities 2025 made by the Minister on 8 July 2025, without the need to apply for a new permission.