Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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1110. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government when the proposed planning exemption for modular homes in back gardens will come into effect; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44506/25]

Peter Cleere (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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1122. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government for an update regarding the exemption under planning rules for slurry storage; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44665/25]

Paul Lawless (Mayo, Aontú)
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1192. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government his plans to review or amend the use of section 5 exemptions in the context of IPAS accommodation, particularly in relation to ensuring community consultation and transparency in planning decisions affecting local areas. [45737/25]

Brian Brennan (Wicklow-Wexford, Fine Gael)
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1286. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government for an update on the implementation of the proposed exemptions to planning, regarding detached cabins and modular homes, following the closure of the public consultation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47035/25]

Colm Burke (Cork North-Central, Fine Gael)
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1302. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government to provide an update on a review of planning regulations in relation to a new and separate exempted development threshold for standalone nutrient storage (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47326/25]

John Cummins (Waterford, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1110, 1122, 1192, 1286 and 1302 together.

The Planning and Development Act 2024 (Act of 2024) was enacted in October 2024 and is in the process of being commenced. In the meantime, the provisions of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended (Act of 2000), and associated Planning and Development Regulations 2001 (Regulations of 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until the relevant sections of the Act of 2024 are commenced and the corresponding sections of the Act of 2000 are repealed.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 a four-week public consultation period on the matter concluded on 26 August 2025. The consultation on exempted development regulations generated a significant response from the public, with over 900 submissions received via the online consultation portal..

These submissions are currently being reviewed and will inform new draft Exempted Development Regulations, which must then be subject to screening for Environmental Assessment, before being laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas. This will also necessitate engagement with the Joint Oireachtas Committee for Housing, Local Government and Heritage.

New Regulations under the Planning and Development Act 2024 (the Act of 2024) will be signed into law in tandem with the commencement of Part 2 and Part 4 of the Act of 2024 and the updated exempted development provisions will form part of the new Regulations. While the commencement of Part 4 of the Act of 2024 is currently scheduled for the end of 2025, certain elements of the new exempted development provisions, including agricultural effluent storage arising from the need to facilitate compliance with the EU Nitrates Directive, will be progressed for advance inclusion in the current Regulations and will also be carried forward into the new Regulations.

Where any individual is unsure if they can avail of any specific exemption, section 5(1) of the Act of 2000, provides that “if any question arises as to what, in any particular case, is or is not development or is or is not exempted development within the meaning of this Act, any person may, on payment of the prescribed fee, request in writing from the relevant planning authority a declaration on that question, and that person shall provide to the planning authority any information necessary to enable the authority to make its decision on the matter.”