Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 11 June 2026
37. Deputy James Geoghegan asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment if his Department provided a submission or input to the review of exempted developments planning guidelines; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44078/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage is currently undertaking a review of existing exempted development regulations, which have been in place for over 20 years, with certain modifications over that period. My Department has been part of an ongoing engagement process led by DHLGH on the exempted development regulations generally and that remains ongoing.
A key consideration in my Department’s ongoing involvement in planning and regulatory reform is expediting infrastructure delivery, needed to facilitate decarbonisation of Ireland’s economy and greater climate resilience. The review of existing exempted development regulations is timely and is critical to improving Ireland’s competitiveness and energy security. Reducing or removing regulatory barriers to the greatest extent possible, is a central theme in the Programme for Government 2025, the Accelerating Infrastructure Action Plan and is identified as crucial to supporting enterprise, housing delivery, energy, climate goals and wider social and economic policy.
The ambition that the Government has set in these areas requires clear and decisive action, striking the right balance between regulatory proportionality and high ambition. This includes removing the need to unnecessarily burden the planning system with minor development types, allowing it to prioritise resources towards larger more complex issues, plans and projects.
Nowhere is the urgency more apparent than in the areas of climate action and energy security. The Government is committed to achieving climate neutrality no later than 2050 with a 51% reduction in GHG emissions in the near term. These legally binding objectives are set out in the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Act 2021.
My Department is committed to ongoing engagement with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage on the review and implementation of the exempted development regulations, together with the wider delivery of actions in the Accelerating Infrastructure Action Plan.
