Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 22 January 2026
167. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his Department monitors the average length of time a home-builder must wait for planning permission; the steps his Department is taking to reduce the wait time for planning decisions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3833/26]
View answerInformation on the average waiting periods for planning permission for individual homes is not specifically collected or monitored by my Department. This responsibility lies with each of the 31 planning authorities, and it may be requested directly from each authority.
The Planning and Development Act 2024, includes a number of new provisions relating to An Coimisiún Pleanála (An Coimusiún), as part of a significant set of reforms. The Act will introduce statutory time periods for decision making for all consent processes, including, for the first time, for An Coimisiún. This will bring increased certainty to the planning consent processes, for both the public and stakeholders involved in the delivery of key infrastructure such as housing and renewable energy.
For An Coimisiún processes, timelines are being introduced for appeals as well as the various consents applications made directly to An Coimisiún. It is important to acknowledge that a certain percentage of cases, due to particular circumstances, such as complexity, requests for further information from applicants for permission or further submissions from other participants including third parties, will not meet the 18 week target.
The new Act also contains important reforms in relation to Judicial Review (JR):-
• removing the requirement to apply for leave to apply for JR, which reduces time and removes unnecessary legal costs to all parties.
• requires that an application for JR may only be made on the grounds of challenge raised by the applicant in the statement of grounds filed with their application.
• provides that an applicant for JR will not be permitted to plead a ground in JR proceedings unless they have a sufficient interest in the matter to which the ground relates.
Alongside the above reforms, my Department is also currently revising exempted development Regulations, developing a Planning Excellence Framework, as provided for under Action 16 of the Infrastructure Report and Action Plan, and implementing the Ministerial Action Plan on Planning Resources, which covers a range of measures to address resourcing challenges across the sector. My Department has overseen considerable legislative and structural reform of the Irish planning system over the past two years.
A Strategic Performance and Innovation Unit has been established within the Planning Division in my Department to examine improvement and performance within the planning system. This Unit will develop a National Planning Excellence Framework, which will highlight best practice in the public planning system, while also identifying areas in need of support and improvement.
The National Planning Framework has been reviewed to reflect Ireland’s housing and infrastructure goals associated with a growing population and economy, and provides the planning system with a strategic plan to shape the future growth and development of our Country to 2040.
