Tony McCormack (Offaly, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

108. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the measures he intends to take to address the failure of some local authorities to implement national planning and rezoning recommendations in a timely and consistent manner; if he will publish details of the councils which are not complying; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53756/25]

Naoise Ó Cearúil (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

113. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will provide an update on the alignment of county development plans with the National Planning Framework; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53885/25]

Tony McCormack (Offaly, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

121. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if his Department intends to exercise its powers to directly rezone land where local authorities fail to do so in line with national housing and planning objectives; the legislative basis for such intervention; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53757/25]

John Cummins (Waterford, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I propose to take Questions Nos. 108, 113 and 121 together.

The Revised National Planning Framework (NPF) was finalised and approved by Government and the Oireachtas in April 2025. The Revised NPF identifies the need to plan for approximately 50,000 additional households per annum to 2040.

The Revised NPF provides the basis for the review and updating of Regional Spatial and Economic Strategies (RSESs) and local authority development plans to reflect such critical matters such as updated housing figures or projected jobs growth, including through the zoning of land for residential, employment and a range of other purposes.

To ensure that local authority development plans reflect the requirements of the NPF in respect of housing as soon as possible, I issued the NPF Implementation: Housing Growth Requirements Guidelines under section 28 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 in July 2025. These guidelines set out the housing demand scenario to 2040 for each local authority, by translating the NPF housing requirements into average annual figures and require planning authorities to commence the process of varying their development plan to meet the new housing growth requirements.

In addition to the baseline housing growth requirement, planning authorities have also been requested to address the scope for additional provision of up to 50% in excess of the baseline housing growth requirement, in light of the urgent need to increase housing delivery and to optimise the ability to deliver on the housing requirements of the Revised NPF. This approach recognises the fact that, for a variety of reasons, a relatively significant proportion of zoned lands are not activated over the period of a development plan.

Planning authorities are currently assessing their current development plan and undertaking a review of the adequacy of existing zoned lands to cater for the new Housing Growth Requirement figures and the potential for ‘additional provision’.

This review and analysis will inform the preparation of a Chief Executive’s report to be submitted to the elected members which will set out the position in respect of each local authority, and the Chief Executive’s recommendations to the members as to what variations to the Plan may be required in order to meet the requirements of the Guidelines. A copy of the Chief Executive’s report is required to be submitted to the Minister and to the Office of the Planning Regulator. Planning Authorities are currently undertaking this initial review and assessment and will be engaging with their elected members.

The zoning of land for particular purposes, including housing, is an exercise undertaken by planning authorities as part of their overall statutory plan function generally as part of a development plan under sections 9 to 13 of the Planning and Development Act, 2000 (as amended), but can at present also be carried out as part of a local area plan (LAP) process. The making of a development plan or an LAP is a reserved function of the elected members of each authority.

Section 31 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 empowers the Minister to direct a planning authority to take such measures as he or she may require to ensure that its development plan complies with the requirements of the Act. The statutory procedures governing the issuing of ministerial directions are found in sections 31, 31AM and 31AN of the 2000 Act.

The power to issue a direction is conditional on the Minister first receiving a formal recommendation on the matter from the Office of the Planning Regulator (OPR) and thereafter forming the opinion that one or more of the criteria set out in section 31(1) of the Act apply. These matters include, but are not limited to, where a plan fails to set out an overall strategy for the proper planning and sustainable development of the area, or a plan is not consistent with the objectives of the National Planning Framework (NPF) and the Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy (RSES).

Since its establishment in April 2019, the OPR has had statutory responsibility for the evaluation and assessment of local authority plans in accordance with section 31P of the Act. The Office is statutorily independent of the Minister in the performance of this function pursuant to section 31R of the Act.

The Planning and Development Act 2024, which is being commenced on a phased basis, includes updated arrangements for the issuing of national planning policy, through the replacement of section 28 Ministerial Guidelines with Government-approved National Planning Statements, along with revised arrangements for the issuing of draft and final directions to regional assemblies and local authorities to ensure consistency throughout the hierarchy of plan making. The provisions relating to National Planning Statements commenced on 2 October 2025.

National Planning Statements will include two distinct elements: (a) National Planning Policies and Measures, with which planning authorities will be required to be consistent in the exercise of their functions; and (b) National Planning Policy Guidance’, which planning authorities will be required to have due regard to. Where a new National Planning Statement is issued, regional assemblies, and in due course, planning authorities, will be required to submit a report to the Office of the Planning Regulator (OPR) setting out their view as to whether the RSES or development plan is materially consistent with the national planning policies and measures set out in the National Planning Statement.

Where the OPR is satisfied that there is a material inconsistency, and the steps proposed by the regional assembly or planning authority are sufficient to remove the material inconsistency, the expedited amendment procedures set out in the Act of 2024 may be invoked. If not satisfied, the OPR can make a recommendation to the Minister that a draft direction under the Act of 2024 should be issued. Furthermore, the OPR can make a recommendation to the Minister that such a draft direction should be issued where it does not receive a report from the regional assembly or planning authority and the OPR is of the opinion that there is a material inconsistency.

The Minister will be required to consider the OPR recommendation, statement of reasons and proposed terms for the draft direction and make a decision as to whether to accept that recommendation or not.