Written answers

Tuesday, 4 November 2025

Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government

Housing Policy

Photo of Malcolm ByrneMalcolm Byrne (Wicklow-Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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973. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government to provide an update on the review of the exempted development regulations and, in particular, the proposals to allow for the construction of log cabins or modular properties in certain circumstances. [60360/25]

Photo of Pádraig RicePádraig Rice (Cork South-Central, Social Democrats)
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974. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the status of his Department’s review of the current exempted development regulations; the timeframe for his proposed changes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60776/25]

Photo of Erin McGreehanErin McGreehan (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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975. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the anticipated timescale for the publication and enactment of the revised Exempted Development Regulations, following the recent public consultation on expanding categories of planning exemptions regarding attic conversions and detached habitable units in back gardens; and if he will outline the next steps for finalising and implementing these regulatory changes. [60650/25]

Photo of Robert O'DonoghueRobert O'Donoghue (Dublin Fingal West, Labour)
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1017. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if there are any concrete timelines for implementation of the proposed exemptions to planning regarding detached cabins and modular homes, as referenced earlier this year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58169/25]

Photo of Michael Healy-RaeMichael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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1083. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government whether one off slurry storage units are exempt from planning; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59114/25]

Photo of John ConnollyJohn Connolly (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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1108. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government when the updated Exempted Development Regulations will be finalised and published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59401/25]

Photo of Emer CurrieEmer Currie (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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1110. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the latest update on the proposal to remove planning requirements for log cabin-type residential structures for back gardens; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59444/25]

Photo of John CumminsJohn Cummins (Waterford, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 973 to 975, inclusive, 1017, 1083, 1108 and 1110 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. Unless specifically exempted, all development requires planning permission.

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 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 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 awaited, certain elements of the new exempted development provisions, including agricultural effluent storage arising from the need to facilitate compliance with the EU Nitrates Directive, are being progressed for advance inclusion in the current Regulations and will also be carried forward into the new Regulations. These Regulations have now been laid in draft form and once environmental consideration is completed, I, as the Minister of State with responsibility for Planning will sign the Regulations into law at the earliest opportunity.

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