Holly Cairns (Cork South-West, Social Democrats)
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1627. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government for an update on the examination of ‘meanwhile use’ for creative and cultural infrastructure (details supplied). [43617/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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The Night Time Economy (NTE) Implementation Group is led by the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport (DCCS) and aims to develop an innovative approach to supporting and developing a vibrant, diverse, and sustainable night-time economy in Ireland. As part of this group my Department is currently leading on Action 6 of the Night Time Economy Strategy to “examine the practical implications for planning and other legislative codes to enable the potential for vacant buildings to be used for meanwhile use”, with the aim of providing more accessibility for NTE activity in vacant spaces.

To progress this action, my Department has undertaken a range of consultations with key stakeholders to examine the issues, including potential changes to planning and other legislation, associated with ‘meanwhile use’, which refers to the temporary use of vacant premises, for example, while awaiting a longer term development or commercial tenancy. This included a planning workshop co-hosted with DCCS, sector representative groups, local government and Government Departments.

The output of this work is feeding into the wider current review of the Planning and Development – Exempted Development Regulations which is currently underway in support of a phased implementation of the Planning and Development Act 2024. A public consultation on the Exempted Development Regulations was launched on the 29 July 2025 and any member of the public can make a submission for a period of four weeks until 26 August 2025.

Details of the consultation are available at: where members of the public register and login to make a submission on the review of exempted development

Following consultation revised and updated Exempted Development Regulations will be drafted.

Any update to Exempted Development Regulations will require positive resolutions by both Houses of the Oireachtas before they can be signed into law.