Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 27 January 2026
657. Deputy Conor Sheehan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of rezoning requests received by each local authority, in tabular form; the proposed date of adoption by each local authority under the guidelines of the first revision of the national planning framework; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6273/26]
View answerThe 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 set out the requirement for 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.
To date, twenty three local authorities have either commenced a variation to their development plan or submitted a Chief Executive’s report to elected members setting out proposals to zone additional lands. The remaining local authorities are expected to submit a Chief Executive’s report and commence the variation process in the coming weeks.
The OPR has a statutory role in the evaluation of development plan reviews and variations, set out under the Planning and Development Acts. As part of this role, the OPR engages with the planning authority at pre-draft, draft and material alteration stage and may provide observations and/or recommendations on elements of the proposed plan/variation that should be amended in order to ensure consistency with national and regional policy.
The OPR is currently actively engaged in this process in connection with the current variations underway as set out above. Where such recommendations are not adopted by the relevant planning authority, the OPR may make a recommendation to the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage that a direction be issued to the planning authority to amend the plan to ensure such consistency.
The Deputy may be interested to note that the OPR maintains a database on its website outlining progress achieved by each planning authority in implementing the Housing Growth Requirements Guidelines. This is accessible at the following link: https://www.opr.ie/section-28-guidelines-npf-implementation-housing-growth-requirements/
The zoning of land for particular purposes, including residential development, is an exercise undertaken by planning authorities as part of their overall statutory plan-making function and is a reserved function of the elected members. Engagement between the planning authority and stakeholders is matter for the planning authority to manage as part of their development plan variation process and my Department does not hold the data requested. The Deputy may however wish to note that a number of planning authorities are undertaking pre-draft consultations in respect of the variation processes, and submissions received by the planning authority in respect of the draft variation will be published by the planning authorities.
