Seán Canney TD, Minister of State for International & Road Transport, Logistics, Rail and Ports and Leader in Cabinet of the Independent Ministers, has welcomed Government approval for amendments to the Planning and Development Act 2024 that will accelerate the impact of recent Judicial Review reforms and help cut unnecessary delays in the planning system.

Minister Canney said the move will “bring faster, clearer and more efficient processes,” particularly by extending key Judicial Review improvements to decisions made under the previous 2000 Planning Act.

“These reforms remove needless obstacles, shorten timelines and reduce legal costs for everyone involved,” Minister Canney said. “Speeding up planning is essential to delivering housing, infrastructure and regional development, and these measures are a significant step forward.”

The new provisions will apply earlier benefits from the 2024 Judicial Review reforms, including the removal of the ‘leave’ stage, the ability to remit cases back to the point of procedural error rather than quash entire decisions, and the removal of further appeals to the Court of Appeal.

This work will run in parallel with the on-going implementation and commencement of the 2024 Act, which has continued throughout this year, with a further Commencement Order, the 5th this year, to be operational before the end of 2025.”

The Bill will also streamline plan-making by:

  1. clarifying the focus and extent of any review of (i.e. removing the need for full review of) the Regional Spatial and Economic Strategies;
  2. allowing planning authorities to extend the development plans that are currently in force, while also making the necessary variations to take account of the updated Housing Growth Requirements Guidelines set out in the National Planning framework earlier this year and provided for in an Amendment Act over the summer; and
  3. ensuring that future development plan reviews are carried out only under the Act of 2024.

The amendments will further update the definition of a “Key Town” so that towns with a population of 10,000 or more can be designated.