The Revised National Planning Framework (NPF) was approved by Government and the Oireachtas in April 2025. The Revised NPF identifies the need to plan for a population of between 6.1m and 6.3m people by 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.
Under the provisions of the Planning and Development Act, planning authorities are required to plan for housing, and also for facilities such as those relating to healthcare, education and recreation in their development plans. The zoning of land for particular purposes 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.
While my Department has responsibility at central government level in relation to the local government system generally and certain specific functional or service areas; responsibility in relation to policy, funding, and general oversight and accountability at national level in respect of health, educational and recreational resources rests with the respective Government Departments.
