Barry Ward (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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276. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government further to Parliamentary Question No. 1106 of 8 September 2025, the research carried out by his Department which indicated the impact that the provision of a 5% minimum requirement for artistic and cultural spaces in future large scale housing developments would have on the delivery of these projects; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49383/25]

Barry Ward (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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277. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government further to Parliamentary Question No. 1106 of 8 September 2025, if he is concerned of the impact that the removal of the provision of a 5% minimum requirement for artistic and cultural spaces in future large scale housing developments will have on the long-term liveability and quality of life for residents; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49384/25]

Barry Ward (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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278. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government further to Parliamentary Question No. 1106 of 8 September 2025, if he engaged with elected councillors in local authorities across the country in advance of removing the 5% minimum requirement for artistic and cultural spaces in future large scale housing developments (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49385/25]

John Cummins (Waterford, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 276, 277 and 278 together.

The Planning Design Standards for Apartments Guidelines for Planning Authorities, 2025 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 is 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 a need for a renewed focus on the delivery of apartments, particularly in central urban areas and in locations accessible to high quality public transport services.

The delivery of apartments is particularly challenging and there is a considerable gap between the cost of building an apartment and comparable market prices. 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 was 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 estimates that a 5% requirement for communal, community and cultural facilities can add at least €10,000-15,000 to the cost of a unit, depending on the specifics of the scheme and its location. The provision of communal, community and cultural facilities are also subject to ongoing management and maintenance costs that must be borne by future residents and/or local authorities.

There is no statutory requirement to undertake consultation on draft Ministerial Guidelines in section 28 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 and wider consultation was not undertaken on the draft Guidelines in question, given the impact on the development sector that this would have given rise to.