John Cummins
Waterford · Fine Gael · Ireland
“To ensure a structured and comprehensive examination of the issues, the task force was organised under four work themes: structures, funding, functions and governance and accountability within the local government sector.”
“At the outset, I thank Senator Fitzpatrick for raising this important issue this morning. I am acutely aware of the strong interest that exists within this House in matters relating to local government.”
“Engagement took place with a wide range of organisations and representative bodies, including employer and employee representatives, community and voluntary organisations, academic experts and other key stakeholders.”
“I move: That Dáil Éireann approves the following Regulations in draft: Planning and Development (Exempted Development (Act of 2000)) Regulations 2026, Planning and Development (Exempted Development (Act of 2000)) (No. 2) Regulations 2026, Planning and Development (Exempted Development (Act of 2000)) (No.”
“In that context, I welcome the opportunity to address the House and to provide an update on the progress made today in advancing that recommendation and strengthening local democracy more generally.”
“The task force was charged with delivering its report within the challenging timeframe of six to nine months. However, considerable preparatory work already completed across the sector provided a strong foundation and enabled that timeline to be achieved. The task force, as the Senator rightly pointed out, was chaired by Mr.”
The complete record
Every one of 1,038 lines we hold for John Cummins, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 2 of 21.
“There may be value in what some of the Deputies are saying were this an in-perpetuity discussion. It is time-bound in nature and as a result, I cannot accept the amendment.”
“In relation to the specific amendment tabled by Deputies Ó Broin and Gould, it seeks to lay a report before the Houses of the Oireachtas every six months detailing the impact of the amendments to Part 4 of the principal Act relating to alterations of existing planning permissions and detailing the location, nature and volume of such alterations by project and local authority area, and the resulting commencement of developments which have secured the alterations. I am not in a position to accept the amendment. I consider a statutory requirement to produce such a report every six months to be entirely excessive. The reason I say that is this is a time-bound measure contained in section 138A. It is a two-year period. It is not something that is going to go on in perpetuity.”
“I thank the Deputies. As a general point, my priority is to ensure the Planning and Development Act 2024 is enabled and that we have all provisions in force before the end of this year. To do that, I have to pass legislation that will enable the transitionary pieces to occur. That is the purpose of the Bill before us. If I cannot progress this to conclusion, it means a further delay in the implementation of the substantive Act, which both the Deputy and I spent a considerable period of our lives in the committee room downstairs debating during the previous parliamentary term.”
“An Coimisiún Pleanála can also be challenged by judicial reviews on a range of its functions, including decisions on appeals and planning applications in respect of strategic infrastructure developments. Moreover, it already publishes details with respect to legal cases in its annual report. It is for these reasons I cannot accept the amendment.”
“The amendment, as proposed, is not considered workable because it would place a statutory requirement on a Minister to report on matters that are subjective in nature. As the Deputies will appreciate, there are a wide range of factors that could give rise to an increase or decrease in the number of planning judicial reviews. It may not always be possible to determine the exact reason for changes in such levels or in the average duration of proceedings. Judicial reviews against the State, in which my Department may be included as a party, are co-ordinated by the Chief State Solicitor under the guidance of the Office of the Attorney General.”
“Second, the monitoring, analysis or reporting of data relating to judicial reviews, including associated timelines and durations of proceedings within the courts, is a matter that falls outside the remit of my Department. The management of the courts is the responsibility of the Courts Service, which is independent in the performance of its functions and under the aegis of the Minister for justice, Deputy O’Callaghan. My understanding is that there is a ten-year modernisation programme already under way within the Courts Service and that significant progress is being made in that regard. Accordingly, it would not be appropriate to provide for a reporting requirement in relation to judicial reviews relating to planning.”
“detailing the impact of the amendments to Part 4 of the Principal Act related to Judicial Reviews and detailing whether the procedural changes have resulted in a speeding up of planning related Judicial Reviews or increased the volume of planning litigation resulting in increased delays for residential and infrastructural development. I am not in a position to accept the amendment. First, on a technical matter, judicial review planning procedures are set out in Part 9 of the 2024 Act. However, the proposed amendment makes reference to Part 4 of that Act. I presume the reference in the amendment is in error. That is one of the reasons I cannot accept it.”
“At the outset, I will address the timing piece. I am not saying this to be provocative, but I have to put it on the record that I stood here last Thursday and concluded my contribution to an empty Chamber. We finished 30 minutes ahead of schedule. I have to say that because we made sufficient provision for debate on Second Stage. I am happy to debate the substance of any of the amendments. I am aware also that a couple of the sections are opposed. The amendment tabled by Deputies Ó Broin and Gould seeks to insert a new section into the Bill. It stages: The Minister shall lay a report before ... the Oireachtas within 12 months ...”
“I move: That it be an instruction to the Committee on the Housing and Residential Tenancies (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2026, that pursuant to Standing Order 194, the Committee has power to make amendments to the Bill which are outside the scope of the existing provisions of the Bill to provide that Section 10 of the Housing Act 1988 be amended for the purposes of: (i) introducing legal and habitual residency eligibility criteria for access to homeless accommodation provided by housing authorities under said Section 10 of the Housing Act 1988; (ii) obliging housing authorities to have regard to the best interests of children when making decisions on the allocation of available homeless accommodation to a family with one or more children; and (iii) expanding the powers of housing authorities to withdraw the provision of homeless accommodation in certain circumstances; and to change the title of the Bill and make other technical and consequential amendments required to take account of the changes above.”
“I move: That Dáil Éireann approves the following Regulations in draft: Planning and Development (Exempted Development (Act of 2000)) Regulations 2026, Planning and Development (Exempted Development (Act of 2000)) (No. 2) Regulations 2026, Planning and Development (Exempted Development (Act of 2000)) (No. 3) Regulations 2026, Planning and Development (Exempted Development (Act of 2000)) (No. 4) Regulations 2026, Planning and Development (Exempted Development (Act of 2000)) (No. 5) Regulations 2026, Planning and Development (Exempted Development (Act of 2000)) (No. 6) Regulations 2026, and Planning and Development (Exempted Development (Act of 2000)) (No. 7) Regulations 2026, Planning and Development (Licensing of Outdoor Events) Regulations 2026, copies of which were laid in draft form before Dáil Éireann on 2nd July, 2026.”
“Of course, we need to continue that, and the statutory timeline provisions are important. I commend the Bill to the House and look forward to the Committee and Report Stage debates next week.”
“The provisions relating to the Housing Finance Agency and what is provided for in this Bill will ensure the continuation of the funding provision arrangements that are in place. The purpose of the vacant site and RZLT provisions is to ensure that we do not have a double taxation element, and that in repealing one, we have the RZLT in place. I agree with Members when they say that timely decisions are important. There are statutory timelines for decision-making within the 2024 Act. This Bill will allow the transitionary provisions to be brought forward in order to bring those statutory timelines into force. I acknowledge the significant work that has been done by An Coimisiún Pleanála in reducing the number of cases on hand from over 3,600 to fewer than 1,300 cases last month. That is significant progress.”
“In terms of the key town provision, and I am sure this is something Deputies will take up on Committee and Report Stages, it is not about creating a two-tier planning system. It is merely about reflecting the number of towns that have populations above 10,000 and are not currently reflected in the regional spatial and economic strategies. They are key growth towns that have the capacity to provide further housing and opportunities, but certainly not at the expense of rural villages and towns. Members mentioned the rural national planning statement, which I published on Tuesday following Cabinet approval, and I thank people for their support in that respect. Affordable housing was referenced. We have gone from a standing start a couple of years ago to having over 6,000 cost-rental units in the country.”
“A local democracy task force implementation plan will be coming to Government shortly following the work done by the task force over a period of a year, and I thank its members for the work they put into that. The provisions of the ten-year development plans are important in ensuring that we have sufficient land zoned across this country and to ensure the transitionary provisions provided for are contained within this Bill. It puts a deadline of the end of next year in terms of the regional spatial and economic strategies. That is a hard deadline to ensure that there is alignment for the first batch of local authorities that will be progressing the reviews of their development plans by July of next year.”
“Many long debates were had at the Oireachtas joint committee, which I was a member of at the time, and in both the Dáil and the Seanad. Importantly, the provisions in this Bill are about providing for decisions made under the 2000 Act post the commencement of this part of the Bill. It is taking what has already been legislated for under the 2024 Act and applying it to decisions that are going to made post the commencement of the provisions within this Bill. On the move to ten-year development plans and the transitionary provisions provided for within this Bill, I spent 11 years on Waterford City and County Council and I respect and understand the importance of the role of local government.”
“I note that one of the Deputies who raised viability measures also opposes the provision of the croí cónaithe cities scheme, which is specifically intended to provide apartments for sale to individuals and families across our cities. Parallel consent were raised by a couple of Deputies. It is, of course, the priority of this Government to ensure that we have parallel consenting permissions across Departments. It requires that technical work across all Departments. It is contained within the accelerating infrastructure task force recommendations and we are working on ensuring that they are in place before the end of the year. A number of Members raised the judicial review process. I do not propose to reopen the discussion on this matter, which was dealt with in the 2024 Act.”
“It is important to understand the difference between the construction of regular housing units and apartments. When a developer goes into the ground to develop an apartment complex, they have no out. They cannot release apartments in phases. They all have to be completed before they are ultimately approved, certified and released to the market. The changes and provisions that are provided for within this Bill ensure that we have a viable apartment sector. It is not about profitability. It is about ensuring that we delivery in terms of the apartment space. In addition to that, we have made available the likes of the croí cónaithe cities scheme.”
“However, what I am trying to do as Minister of State is remove red tape from the planning system by introducing the likes of exemptions, and I know that provisions for modular housing were mentioned by one of the Deputies earlier. It is my understanding that these provisions were laid before the House today and will go to the Oireachtas committee on 14 July 2026, and I will sign those provisions shortly thereafter. I know they have been eagerly awaited by many people. Removing red tape from the planning system will free up resources within our local authority staff, as well as the provision of the eplanning system, through which 80% of all applications are now being made, which is very welcome. Section 138(a), on apartment standards, was mentioned and many Members spoke about the viability of apartment development.”
“As I stated at the outset, I certainly hope that all Members will support those endeavours as we take this Bill through the Houses over the next couple of weeks. I want to address some of the points that have been raised throughout the debate by Members. One area of concern that was raised by a number of Members relates to workforce plans and ensuring that we have sufficient planning staff within our local authority system. It is important to note that under the ministerial action plan on planning resources, 244 planning staff have been approved over the past number of years, including an additional 45 intern positions and another six members of staff for our regional assemblies, and I will continue to support the increased provision of staff within our local authority system and within our planning system overall.”
“I thank all of the Deputies for their engagement in the discussion on this Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill. As I stated at the outset, the commencement and implementation of the Planning and Development Act 2024 is a key priority for this Government. While I appreciate some of the concerns that have been raised about the length of the debate, we are going to conclude this debate ahead of the time that was allocated to it, and I am speaking to a practically empty Chamber. I suspect that this is not lost on most people who might be looking in. It is my priority as a Minister of State to ensure that we have the timely commencement of the 2024 Act. That is why we need to ensure that the transitionary provisions that are provided for in this Bill are enacted before the summer recess.”
“With the support of both Houses and with your co-operation, I hope to have this Bill enacted before the summer recess. These changes will provide legislative clarification for the planning sector, including planning authorities and An Coimisiún Pleanála, in order that they can finalise their preparation for implementation. The timely enactment of this Bill will make sure that the smooth commencement of the 2024 Act can take place in the autumn. I will seek to respond to various matters that Deputies may raise. I look forward to further engagement next week during the Committee Stage debate on this important Bill. In the meantime, I commend the Bill to the House.”
“The Bill will also speed up the implementation of the new procedural rules for planning judicial reviews that were introduced in the 2024 Act by also applying them to any remaining acts or decisions made under the 2000 Act. The Bill contains a number of measures that will enhance the timely delivery of critical infrastructure projects, which I am sure all Members support. The substantial majority of the provisions in the Bill are technical and their timely enactment will enable the remaining provisions of the Planning and Development Act 2024 to be brought into operation later this year. As the House is aware, the ongoing implementation of the 2024 Act is a key priority for Government and we want the remainder of the 2024 Act to be commenced as soon as possible.”
“The amendments to the other enactments correct typographical errors in references to the Act of 2024 in those other enactments. Part 4 of the Bill comprises section 149 and amends the Housing Finance Agency Act 1981, providing for an increase to the statutory borrowing limit of the Housing Finance Agency, from €13.5 billion to €15 billion. I emphasise that the measures included in the Bill as proposed deal with a number of important and time-sensitive matters that are relevant to the planning system. They will provide clarity and further policy direction on a number of matters that have already commenced in Part 3 of the 2024 Act, including the timely introduction of ten-year development plans under the Act, before the end of 2030.”
“Chapters 9 to 18 comprise sections 116 to 139, inclusive, and amend various Parts of the Act of 2024. These mainly consist of typographical corrections and minor amendments. Section 129 amends section 588 of the Act of 2024, which requires a declaration to be signed with planning submissions and appeals. The amendments in this Bill will provide for exclusions from the application of section 588 for specified bodies that are entitled to be given notice of certain planning applications and are invited to make observations due to their specific functions. Part 3 comprises sections 104 to 148, inclusive, and amends the Planning and Development Act 2000 and other enactments. The amendments to the Act of 2000 are consequential to the Part 9 judicial review amendments.”
“Alongside typographical corrections and minor amendments, these sections clarify the competent authorities and screening obligations for both appropriate assessment and environmental impact assessment in respect of: retention permission; retrospective consent; local authority development; State authority development; planning schemes; and development schemes. Chapter 8 comprises section 115 and amends Part 9 of the Act of 2024. It inserts a new section 303A in Chapter 3 of Part 9 to apply the new procedural rules for judicial review set out in Chapter 1 of Part 9 to decisions made or acts done under the Act of 2000. This applies to a range of specified procedures, where those procedures are initiated after section 303A comes into operation.”
“Alongside typographical corrections and minor amendments, they provide for: a definition of “material contravention” in relation to development plans in section 32; eligibility requirements for the making of planning applications on behalf of statutory undertakers in section 35; flexibility for applications for the distribution of electricity to be made under Chapter 3 of Part 4 and to be treated as standard development in section 53; the removal of the requirement to have a maritime area consent prior to entering into the pre-application consultation process in section 54; and the alteration of an existing permission for apartment developments that is in accordance with appropriate apartment design standards in section 62. Chapters 6 and 7 comprise sections 79 to 114, inclusive, and amend Parts 6 and 7 of the Act of 2024.”
“These amendments will operate in such a way that the planning authorities will be obliged to begin the process of making their new development plans under the 2024 Act in the period from July 2027 to July 2028 at the latest, and conclude the processes in the period between February and December 2030 at the latest. In line with the hierarchy of plan-making, these amendments should provide for the timely introduction of ten-year development plans. Chapters 4 and 5 comprise sections 32 to 78, inclusive, and amend Parts 4 and 5 of the Act of 2024.”
“Alongside typographical corrections and minor amendments, Chapter 3 provides for: the designation, in sections 9, 13 and 20, of towns with populations of 10,000 or more as key towns; a 90-week deadline for the completion of a regional spatial and economic strategies review in section 14, which means it should be completed by 31 December; the amendment of the expiry date of the current county and city development plans in section 27; and a trigger for the review of development plans in section 19. The revised expiry dates are grouped in batches, separated by two-month intervals, and depend on the expiry of the current development plans.”
“Section 4 includes a transitional clarification in the definition of “exempted development” to ensure that planning exemptions under the Act of 2000 can continue in force under the Act of 2024, as provided for in section 627 of the 2024 Act, until such time as they are repealed and replaced by regulations made under the 2024 Act. Chapter 3, which comprises sections 9 to 31, inclusive, amends Part 3 of the Act of 2024.”
“This amendment will enable the Housing Finance Agency to continue to fund social and affordable homes up to June 2027 and ensure there is no interruption in their housing pipeline. I will now outline the main provisions of the Bill, which consists of 149 sections set out in 4 Parts. Part 1 comprises sections 1 to 3, inclusive, and contains provisions of a general nature, including definitions, citation, commencement and repeals. Part 2 comprises sections 4 to 139, inclusive, and amends the Planning and Development Act 2024, referred to as the Principal Act. Part 2 is split into 18 Chapters, with each Chapter providing amendments to specific Parts of the 2024 Act. Chapters 1 and 2, which comprise sections 4 to 8, inclusive, amend Parts 1 and 2 of the Act of 2024 primarily to correct typographical errors and cross references.”
“These amendments are technical in nature and are proposed to correct cross-references and typographical errors and to clarify the existing text without changing the intent behind it. The Bill also includes amendments that provide for the formal repeal of the vacant sites levy provisions in the Urban Regeneration and Housing Act 2015, which have been superseded by the residential zoned land tax. Amendments to the Housing Finance Agency Act 1981 are also proposed in order to increase the statutory borrowing limit of the Housing Finance Agency from €13.5 billion to €15 billion. The Housing Finance Agency provides low-cost finance to approved housing bodies, local authorities and higher education institutions for social, affordable and student housing.”
“Following a comprehensive internal review of the legislation that took place in early 2026, and engagement with the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel to the Government, OPC, on the drafting of corresponding provisions, a number of amendments are proposed to clarify the competent authorities and related screening obligations for both appropriate assessment and environmental impact assessment. The amendments have been drafted on a no-policy-change basis and will support the smooth commencement of the remaining provisions of the 2024 Act later by ensuring that the provisions operate as was originally intended when they were enacted. The Bill includes a large number of amendments that make up over 50% of its sections.”
“The agile application of these criteria to permissions already granted including, where relevant, the development of a greater numbers of dwellings in apartment complexes, will help support the viability of the development of such apartments in the immediate term. The amendment being introduced sets out specific circumstances where such a modification of an existing permission is non-material for the purpose of the 2024 Act, noting that any such modification is still subject to the requirements of the environmental impact assessment directive and the habitats directive, where applicable. The Bill sets out the specific criteria for the applicability of such a process. Those criteria will only apply where work has not yet commenced and if the modification is made within two years of the enactment of this Bill.”
“Another example is section 53, which makes an amendment to help speed up the delivery of critical electricity infrastructure. It provides additional flexibility so that an application for the distribution of electricity infrastructure may be made under Chapter 3 of the 2024 Act, thereby having the development treated as standard development and considered first by the planning authority, rather than under Chapter 4 of the 2024 Act, where it is considered only by An Coimisiún Pleanála, as may otherwise be applicable. The Bill will also make amendments to allow for the modification of an existing permission in accordance with appropriate apartment design standards.”
“This includes the change set out in section 35 of the Bill which make it clear that landowner consent is not required when making a planning application for development undertaken by statutory undertakers in the performance of their statutory functions, such as ESB Networks when they are seeking to develop critical electricity infrastructure, including across multiple properties. This amendment makes it clear that the application may be made by or on behalf of the statutory undertaker in the first instance, but does not alter the requirements or predetermine the outcome of the planning process itself. All relevant parties, including landowners, will still retain their existing rights to participate in the planning process.”
“A number of actions were already in train, but the relevant timelines have been brought forward and included in this Bill to ensure completion within the ambitious timelines set out in the report, which was approved by Government and published in December of last year. This includes the introduction of a definition of “material contravention” of the development plan which should assist in the timely development of critical infrastructure and housing projects by providing clarity and certainty for the decision-making process and thereby avoiding the potential for additional legal challenges. It also includes a number of other amendments to streamline certain application processes for critical infrastructure projects, including those by or on behalf of statutory undertakers.”
“The processes being updated include the removal of the requirement to apply for leave to apply for judicial review proceedings which reduces the time required for such proceedings, removes unnecessary additional legal costs to all parties and amends various procedural rules relating to proceedings. These changes will mean that the expected benefits of the new judicial review processes will have an earlier positive impact on the planning system later this year. A range of measures are proposed in the Bill to enhance the delivery of critical infrastructure projects and complete several actions that were assigned to my Department in the Accelerating Infrastructure Report and Action Plan, which was published last year.”
“Given the lead-in time before there could be a formal decision made or action taken under the 2024 Act that could be subject to a challenge, it would likely be several months after the commencement of Part 4 of the 2024 Act before the new planning judicial review rules could have an impact on proceedings. To further expedite judicial review processes going forward, it is now proposed to extend the judicial review provisions in the 2024 Act to decisions made or acts done under the 2000 Act. This change will speed up the transition to the new rules and will mean that they will have an earlier impact in the second half of this year.”
“It will also make it clear that since the commencement of Part 3 of the Act at end of 2025, all development plan reviews must be carried out under the 2024 Act only. Second, the Bill extends the judicial review provisions in Chapter 1 of Part 9 of the 2024 Act to acts done or decisions made under the Planning and Development Act 2000. We are all aware that a number of planning proposals are delayed due to judicial review proceedings, which is why changes to judicial review processes were introduced under the 2024 Act and brought into operation in August 2025.”
“This Bill will ensure that the review of the three regional spatial and economic strategies will be completed in a timely manner through the introduction of a deadline of 31 December 2027. It will also allow for planning authorities to amend the expiration dates of their current development plans for a defined maximum period between February and December 2030. This new expiration date will act as a trigger for the adoption of new ten-year development plans under the 2024 Act and will mean that planning authorities must begin the process of making their new development plans under the 2024 Act in the period beginning in July next year and running until July of 2028 at the latest.”
“The amendments in this Bill take into account the ongoing engagement with the sector on how the legislation is operating in practice and will provide clarity and further policy direction on a number of important matters, including the Government's expectations around the timely introduction of ten-year county and city development plans under the 2024 Act. The approach has been discussed in detail and worked through with all key stakeholders including the Office of the Planning Regulator and our planning authorities. This engagement has happened at all levels across all organisations, including the oversight group chaired by my Department that was established to oversee and help manage the sector through the ongoing commencement of the 2024 Act.”
“First, the Bill amends Part 3 of the Planning and Development Act 2024 to speed up the move to plan-making under the 2024 Act and to ensure that the transitional measures already provided for will operate as originally intended in line with the hierarchy of plan-making. Part 3 of the 2024 Act was commenced at the end of last year and is already being operated by planning authorities. We recognise that the ongoing practical implementation of the transition to the 2024 Act presents a challenge for the current system from a capacity and prioritisation perspective.”
“A considerable volume of the legislation has already commenced, with the remainder on track to be commenced by the end of this year following the enactment of the Bill before the House. I assure Deputies that my Department is finalising revised regulations to accompany the 2024 Act and is working closely with local authorities and a range of other key stakeholders to ensure that the system will be ready for full implementation. As already stated, the main purpose of the Bill is to support the smooth commencement of the remaining provisions of the Planning and Development Act 2024, which is due to take place later this year. The amendments in the Bill can be broken down into five key areas.”
“Members will recall the scale of the Planning and Development Act 2024, which was enacted in October of that year. This body of legislation is the third largest to be enacted in the history of the State and was underpinned by a 15-month review led by the Attorney General, informed by dozens of key stakeholder voices in the planning arena, while also subject to considerable scrutiny when it passed through the Houses of the Oireachtas. Given the scale of the 2024 Act, it has been necessary to commence and implement it on a phased basis in order to facilitate the transition from the arrangements under the current legislative framework to those under the Act. The ongoing implementation of the Act is a key priority for me, as Minister of State, and for the Government.”
“I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." I am pleased to bring the Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2026 before the House. The main purpose of this Bill is to support the smooth commencement of the remaining provisions of the Planning and Development Act 2024 later this year and to provide clarity and further policy direction on a number of matters that have already commenced in Part 3 of the 2024 Act, including: the timely introduction of ten year county and city development plans; speeding up the implementation of the new procedural rules for planning judicial reviews that were introduced in the 2024 Act by applying them to any remaining Acts or decisions to be made under the 2000 Act; and completing a number of actions that were assigned to my Department following the Government's approval of the 2025 accelerating infrastructure plan to enhance the timely delivery of critical infrastructure projects.”
“The Department of Children, Disability and Equality has established a working group in this area. It is chaired by that Department, in conjunction with our Department and the Department of education. We are reviewing the situation, and all the various points made by Deputy O’Connell and Deputy Currie to me over a considerable period of time will be factored into this review. We are also reviewing development contribution schemes. This may have a role in how we address additional development in established areas. It may be more appropriate where a childcare facility is already operating, expansion is required and there is room for such expansion, that the more viable option may be to have such contributions supporting expansion of existing facilities rather than building smaller, unviable and piecemeal facilities.”
“This would be in line with what we do for educational facilities whereby where we have an existing community in a built-up area or a new community that will be developing, we would plan at development plan stage for adequate provision in terms of site-specific locations for childcare facilities of scale and not smaller piecemeal facilities that are often unviable for providers to take on board.”
“I accept the points made by Deputy O'Connell. It is not just a matter of affordability but also of availability. As a new father who has started sending a child to crèche in recent weeks I certainly know this. I acknowledge that the guidelines that have been in place since 2001 were a legacy of that time, when provision was attached to development. It is a cost on development. We do need to move, as I outlined, under national policy objective 41 to where it is more planned.”
“National policy objective 41 of the revised national planning framework 2025 also supports the strategic planning and alignment of planned population and employment growth with educational investment, and prioritises the timely delivery of childcare facilities and schools on well-located sites, within or close to existing built-up areas, to support the development of sustainable communities. I know this is an area of utmost importance and we are working with other Departments on a review of it.”
“The current childcare facilities guidelines for planning authorities, which remain in place until revoked or replaced by a new national planning statement, set out the methodology for calculating an adequate provision of childcare places and ensure consistency in the approach to the consideration of land use planning and development management aspects of childcare provision. These guidelines set out a guideline standard of one childcare facility providing for a minimum 20 childcare places per approximately 75 dwellings, as appropriate to the particular circumstances of each development. Consideration of childcare facilities provision should be raised as early as possible in preplanning discussions for larger housing developments.”