663. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether his Department assessed, prior to requesting local authorities to undertake development plan variations concerning additional land for residential development, the potential for those variations to conflict with existing development plans, regional spatial and economic strategies, the National Planning Framework or other statutory planning requirements; and, if so, to provide details of that assessment. [64191/26]

664. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of draft or final Ministerial directions which have arisen from development plan variations undertaken following the recent Ministerial request concerning additional land for residential development; the local authorities concerned; and the reason for each direction and its current status, in tabular form. [64190/26]

665. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of development plan variations undertaken by local authorities arising from the recent Ministerial request concerning additional land for residential development in respect of which the Office of the Planning Regulator has identified issues, made recommendations or recommended a Ministerial direction; and to provide a breakdown by local authority and the nature of the issue identified, in tabular form. [64189/26]

I propose to take Questions Nos. 663, 664 and 665 together.

The Revised National Planning Framework (NPF) was finalised and approved by Government and the Oireachtas in April 2025. The Revised NPF identifies the need to plan for approximately 50,000 additional households per annum to 2040 and 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 and projected jobs growth, including through the zoning of land for residential, employment and other purposes.

To ensure that local authority development plans reflect the requirements of the Revised NPF in respect of housing as soon as possible, I issued the NPF Implementation: Housing Growth Requirements Guidelines under section 28 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 in July 2025. These Guidelines set out the housing demand scenario to 2040 for each local authority by translating the NPF housing requirements into average annual figures and require planning authorities to commence the process of varying their development plan to meet the new housing growth requirements.

In addition to the baseline housing growth requirement, planning authorities have been requested to address the scope for additional provision of up to 50% in excess of the baseline figure, in light of the urgent need to increase housing delivery, and to optimise the ability to deliver on the housing requirements of the NPF.

Planning authorities have assessed their respective development plans and have undertaken a review of the adequacy of existing zoned lands in their functional area to cater for the new Housing Growth Requirements and the potential for ‘additional provision’. As of September 2026, all local authorities have commenced a variation process, with twenty-three of those either partially or fully completed.

Since its establishment in April 2019, the Office of the Planning Regulator has had statutory responsibility for the evaluation and assessment of local authority plans, including variations made to existing development plans. The Office is statutorily independent of the Minister in the performance of this function pursuant to section 538 of the Planning and Development Act 2024.

In the exercise of its plan evaluation function, the OPR may make submissions to a planning authority in relation to draft development plans and variations, and any proposed material alterations, including such recommendations as it considers appropriate to ensure consistency with national and regional planning policy. OPR submissions in relation to individual plans and variations are accessible at the following link: www.opr.ie/submissions-submitted-by-the-opr/. Quarterly activity reports published by the OPR on its website also categorise the recommendations made to planning authorities in its submissions on statutory plans in the most recent quarter.

In accordance with section 63 of the Act, upon being notified by a planning authority of the making of a development plan or variation to a development plan, the OPR is required to carry out a formal assessment. Where the OPR forms the opinion that the development plan or development plan as varied is materially inconsistent with national or regional planning policy, departs from relevant planning guidance without adequate justification, or otherwise contravenes the Act, it is required to make a recommendation to the Minister that a draft direction be issued.

In such instances, the Minister considers the OPR recommendation, and where in agreement, proceeds to direct the OPR to issue a draft direction with or without modifications. The Act also provides, in certain circumstances, for the suspension of provisions of a development plan during the assessment and direction process.

Before issuing a draft direction, the OPR must comply with EU law requirements relating to Appropriate Assessment and Strategic Environmental Assessment and, where required, prepare the relevant environmental reports. The draft direction is then published by the OPR and subject to a period of public consultation. Following consideration of any submissions received, the OPR prepares a report for the Minister summarising and evaluating the submissions and makes a further recommendation as to whether the direction should be issued (with or without amendments) or alternatively not issued.

The Minister is then required to consider the OPR’s recommendation and report before deciding whether to issue a final direction. The Minister may issue the direction in the terms recommended by the OPR, with minor modifications, or, subject to further screening and assessment, with such other modifications as the Minister considers appropriate. Where a direction is issued, it takes immediate effect and its terms are deemed to be incorporated into the development plan or, if appropriate, to constitute the plan.

To date, I have not issued any directions in relation to a variation made under the Planning and Development Act 2024 (that power having been commenced on 31 December 2025). Previous directions issued to planning authorities under the Act of 2000 and the associated recommendations issued to the Minister by the OPR can be viewed online at: www.opr.ie/recommendations-made-by-the-opr-to-the-minister/.