Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 27 March 2025
295. Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the action being taken to ensure that additional land is zoned for housing in Carlow and Kilkenny; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14818/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe 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.
In preparing their statutory plans, including in relation to the zoning of land for particular purposes, the elected members are required to consider and be consistent with, as appropriate, the National Planning Framework, Regional Spatial and Economic Strategies and relevant Ministerial planning guidelines.
The National Planning Framework (NPF) (2018), together with the National Development Plan 2021 (NDP), combine to form Project Ireland 2040, the overarching planning and investment framework for the social, economic and cultural development of Ireland.
The NPF sets out high-level national policies and objectives, which are essential to achieving proper planning and sustainable development, with a clear vision to guide future development and investment decisions. The strategy sets out the spatial planning policy approach to accommodating projected population growth to 2040 in a manner which delivers balanced regional development. Since the NPF was first published in 2018, the regional strategies and local authority development plans have largely been updated to reflect the objectives of the NPF.
In 2023, Government approved the commencement of the process of revising the current NPF, and a Draft Revised NPF was published for public consultation in July 2024. The finalisation of the approval process for the Revised NPF plays a key role in delivering on our broader objectives across Government, and in particular the scaling up of housing supply over the coming years.
Subject to the approval of Government and the Houses of the Oireachtas, the NPF Revision process will be finalised and this will allow the Revised NPF to take effect in the planning system.
The final Revised NPF will provide the basis for the review and updating of Regional Spatial and Economic Strategies (RSESs) and local authority development plans to reflect matters such as updated housing figures, projected jobs growth and renewable energy capacity allocations, including through the zoning of land for residential, employment and a range of other purposes.
In relation to housing, the Draft Revised NPF published in 2024 sets out a need to plan for the delivery of approximately 50,000 additional homes per annum every year to 2040.
The NPF does not zone land and the key next step further to the finalisation of the NPF Revision is to address, through the issuing of further policy direction by the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, the spatial distribution of the housing requirement by local authority area through the provision of updated planned housing requirements on a local authority by local authority basis. This translation of updated NPF population and housing figures to the local authority level will facilitate development plans being updated, to ensure that a strategic plan-led approach to future housing development is provided that is based on the relevant up to date legislative and policy framework.
