Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 17 February 2026
777. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his plans to revise planning application fees for An Coimisiún Pleanála, and resources for the planning system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11756/26]
View answerAn Coimisiún Pleanála (An Coimisiún) is the national independent statutory body with responsibility for the determination of planning appeals and direct applications for strategic infrastructure and other developments under Planning and Development Act 2024, as amended, and certain other Acts.
The setting of fees is an operational matter for An Coimisiún.
On 15 October 2024, my Department published a Ministerial Action Plan on Planning Resources to respond to capacity challenges in the planning sector. This Action Plan provides a detailed roadmap to increase the pool of planning and related expertise needed to ensure a planning system fit for future needs. It sets out 14 high-level actions that provide a coordinated pathway to ensure a sustainable pipeline of planning and related expertise into the future, addressing the areas of education, recruitment and retention, as well as measures to encourage greater innovation and efficiency.
Funding was secured in Budget 2025 and 2026 to support delivery of the Action Plan and a Steering Group established to coordinate and oversee the development of this Action Plan will remain in place to oversee the implementation and ongoing review of the Action Plan.
The Action Plan has seen the formation of five Working Groups to progress grouped actions in the areas of education, national recruitment, international recruitment, system reform and innovation and efficiency. These working groups have met a number of times and the work of the groups is progressing well.
The occupation of town planner has now been added to the Critical Skills Occupation List (Action 9 of the Ministerial Action Plan) which will allow eligible non-EEA professionals from outside of Europe to now benefit from streamlined employment permit processes, making it easier for Irish employers to recruit and retain international talent in this vital sector. This addition is a decisive step to addressing planning resource shortages and reinforcing the capacity of our planning system to help meet current and future needs.
My Department is currently working on a number of measures to increase staffing levels in the local government planning sector. In this regard, my Department is collaborating with the local government sector and key stakeholders on the delivery of a programme of supports to planning authorities. These supports include the provision of staffing resources and expertise to enable planning authorities to perform their functions efficiently and effectively.
In October 2023, my Department conveyed approval to the filling of an initial 100 posts, subsequently increased to 101 posts, in the local authority planning sector under the first tranche of a programme of supports for planning resources. A further approval issued in January 2025 for 112 posts - 56 graduate planner posts and 56 staff officer posts - to support the Planning function within local authorities. Engagement is ongoing with the local government sector on a third tranche of this programme of planning resources.
On 17 April 2025, local authorities were notified of their allocation for Phase 2A graduate planner posts. On 13 May 2025, a national recruitment campaign was launched to attract graduate planners into Ireland’s local authorities, which was supported by my Department. Regional interviews were held in late July 2025 and currently final posts are being filled.
Discussions are currently ongoing regarding a business case received by the LGMA for a phase 3 of supports for further planning positions within the local government sector which will include a summer internship programme in 2026.
Arrangements have been put in place by all bodies under the aegis of my Department to facilitate the provision of information directly to members of the Oireachtas. This provides a speedy, efficient and cost effective system to address queries directly to the relevant bodies. The contact email address for An Coimisiún Pleanála in this regard is [Oireachtasqueries@pleanala.ie]
