Reforms to Speed Up Housing Delivery Welcomed by Minister Seán Canney
Seán Canney TD, Minister of State for International and Road Transport, Logistics, Rail and Ports and Leader in Cabinet of the Independent Ministers, has welcomed two key housing reforms approved by Government this week—both aimed at increasing and accelerating the delivery of new homes across Ireland.
The first reform will introduce a single stage department approval process for social housing projects up to a value of €200m, replacing the existing four-stage system. This streamlining will significantly speed up housing delivery by local authorities and Approved Housing Bodies.
Standardised design layouts and specifications will also now be mandated, enabling faster procurement, efficient and cost effective production and promoting Modern Methods of Construction (MMC).
“These changes will cut red tape and boost local authorities’ capacity to build homes more quickly and efficiently,” Minister Canney said.
The second major reform is the Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2025, which will extend the lifespan of planning permissions for housing developments that have not yet commenced or have been delayed due to Judicial Review (JR) proceedings.
With over 40,000 un-commenced homes across Dublin alone, the Bill aims to prevent permissions from expiring unnecessarily. It allows:
Extensions of up to three years for projects with less than two years remaining on their planning permission;
Retrospective suspension of permission timeframes for developments delayed due to Judicial Review;
Transitional provisions to keep development plans progressing as the 2024 Planning Act is implemented.
“These are pragmatic, time-sensitive changes that will deliver real housing results on the ground,” added Minister Canney.
The Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill is expected to be enacted before the summer recess, with both reforms coming into effect later this year.