How did that go in Berlin?
Sentiment score: 0.00
Deputy Ó Broin has no respect for the Chair or this House.
Sentiment score: 0.23
I thank Deputy Gogarty. The Government, as he said, recently published its new housing plan, Delivering Homes, Building Communities, which aims to deliver 300,000 new homes by the end of 2030. Under pillar 1, it says that to increase the supply of additional housing, action 4.8 commits to increasing the number of development types that are exempt from planning, in order to ensure we have the flexibility for local authorities to be able to do the work they require to do. Planning permission will be exempt to allow for homeowners to adapt or extend their homes more easily, including attic conversions, subdivisions of existing homes and detached accommodation within the primary dwelling. The action is being progressed through the continued commencement of the Planning and Development Act 2024, including the consequential review of the exempted development regulations. It is expected that the work will be completed on these imminently and both will be brought before the joint Oireachtas committee thereafter. I assure the Deputy that both the Minister, Deputy Browne, and I have been working extensively on this matter with officials. Significant progress has been made to date following the successful public consultation that took place last year, with over 900 submissions received via the online portal. The details of these submissions have been reviewed and are informing the ongoing drafting of the updated exempted development regulations that will be forthcoming across 2026. The implementation of the update of these regulations is being done on a phased basis by theme, with priority already given to exemptions relating to agriculture, which were passed before Christmas. The next theme will be domestic dwellings followed by infrastructure. These domestic dwelling regulations are at an advanced draft stage and include exemptions for stand-alone detached housing units to the rear of a residential dwelling. The final decisions on the specifics of these regulations, including on whether there are any restrictions, will be communicated as soon as possible. The new draft exempted development regulations will be subject to environmental consideration and will be laid before both Houses of the Oireachtas and then before the committee.
Sentiment score: 0.23
I welcome the Deputy's comments in relation to this proposal, which is being advanced by Government. I expect to have these domestic exemption regulations before the joint Oireachtas committee around Easter time and enacted and enforced thereafter. I have never once said that this is a solution to the housing crisis. This is about providing options for people where they feel it appropriate. There will be restrictions and limitations across a number of areas and they are obviously being worked through. The positive interaction of the public with the public consultation, which took place in regard to these exemptions, has been very welcome and have helped inform the discussions that have been ongoing in the Department in relation to this. I see this as a very positive and proactive measure that the Government is taking. That is why it is in the housing plan and why it is being prioritised by the Department. As I said, we expect to have those regulations before the joint Oireachtas committee around Easter time and implemented thereafter.
Sentiment score: 0.20
I note the Deputy's comments but, for the avoidance of doubt, unless there are explicit exemptions, the rules are the rules around planning. We have indicated our intention to bring forward this proposal. We have not set out the exact parameters of that. The current rules in regard to planning are the current rules until they are exempt. I indicated that to the joint Oireachtas committee when I was there before Christmas. As I said, this is a proactive and sensible proposal about providing options for people where they choose. Who is anybody in this Chamber or anywhere else to tell somebody that this is not an appropriate option for them if they choose to progress something? It is about removing red tape from the planning system so that planning authorities can actually deal with important planning applications and introduce flexibility and common sense to the planning system. That is what I am trying to do as Minister of State in the Department.
Sentiment score: 0.07
I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. Delivering Homes, Building Communities 2025-2030 is Ireland’s new housing plan. It is a wide-ranging action plan, focused on housing supply and targeting homelessness. The plan is centred on eight priorities, one of which includes increasing skills and supporting the adoption of modern methods of construction, MMC, in the residential construction sector, which will help facilitate delivery at optimal levels of speed, quality, sustainability and cost effectiveness. My Department will ensure that the weight of the State’s significant spending power is put firmly behind the use of MMC in at least 25% of all new build social and affordable housing. This will mean a pipeline of thousands of homes that will be built using MMC over the lifetime of the plan. In order to directly support the use of modular or 3D volumetric methods, my Department is providing funding and support for two pathfinder projects in the Limerick city short-term modular affordable rental transition modular housing project and Wexford County Council is being supported to develop 22 permanent social homes. The National Standards Authority of Ireland, NSAI, agrément certification plays a central role in enabling new, innovative construction products, processes and building systems. A total of 21 MMC systems are currently certified by NSAI agrément. Two of these certificates relate to modular systems. In addition, six MMC systems are at internal review stage for certification. Subject to satisfactory completion of this review, these certificates are expected to be published in the first half of 2026. Two of the six systems undergoing review are for modular systems. Under the plan, the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment will further optimise the process towards NSAI agrément certification. The plan also commits to expanding the ready to build scheme, which the Deputy referenced at the end of his contribution.
Sentiment score: 0.31
I thank the Deputy. I note the comments from the Minister, Deputy Browne, about the developer-provided infrastructure element and the commitment Deputy Cahill has shown in raising constructed wetlands consistently in this House. There is a very good example of it in my constituency in Dunhill, County Waterford. In relation to the modular systems, we are going to provide planning exemptions to allow for modular units to the rear of the dwelling as I referred to earlier in response to questions from Deputy Gogarty. The Government will from a State point of view continue to invest in modern methods of construction, at least 25%, and we are going to bring an increased focus in terms of modular systems to that. I referenced the pilots in Limerick and Wexford, which are currently in process.
Sentiment score: 0.29
I have been consistent on exempted development regulations and the provision of modular units. I never once said this is the solution to the housing crisis. This is about providing options for people. Who is it for anybody in this Chamber to try to dictate to people who may wish to put in a modular home if they believe that is appropriate for them? Everything we are trying to do in terms of planning within government is to simplify the process and remove things from the planning system that are not required to be in it. That is what we are doing in terms of the exempted development regulations, which I will bring to the Oireachtas committee at Easter. In relation to local authorities and AHBs, we are committed to increasing MMC by at least 25% and we are going to try to push the 3D volume metric in addition to the 2D, which has been happening consistently across the sector over the past number of years.
Sentiment score: 0.05