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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 … 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

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 … 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

build within their gardens. I note that under pillar 1 of the housing plan, action 4.8 commits to increasing the number of development types exempt from planning permission. When is this coming in? Will there be clear boundaries in terms of the scope? It should

living-over-the-shop accommodation, up to a maximum of nine residential units. The Government also amended the Planning and Development Regulations 2001 to include an exemption for the change of use of vacant commercial buildings, including vacant pubs. This exemption has now been extended … local authorities received 1,457 notifications from developers intending to avail of the exemptions. If acted on, this would result in 3,429 new homes across the country. A compulsory purchase order, CPO, activation programme was also launched by the Department of housing in April

affordable housing to help us and the Government bring up our housing stock and reduce our housing crisis, should be exempt from this tax. The developer is actively pursuing it and is trying to do the right things to have property built and services … site. Surely there should be an exemption for this type of person. We are tinkering around with this. I do not want to be offensive to anyone because great credit is due to people who write Bills in the House, in particular those in the Opposition

Minister and he voted down legislation last night. Just to let the Minister know, the Land Development Agency, LDA, is seeking to be exempt from the derelict sites levy. I thank RTÉ for doing work on this. Tens of thousands of euro are owed and those concerned

will seek to identify the areas in and around the Boyne catchment where detailed proposals and plans for renewal, preservation, conservation, restoration and development or redevelopment would be appropriate and include proposals relating to public access and public amenities including public transport and pedestrian access … State to seek and secure another exemption to the nitrates directive. I will return to that in my response to the Minister's comments on the Bill later. Some welcome steps are being taken. Teagasc, for example, has developed an action plan for better farming for water

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

exempt smaller, modular and ancillary units such as granny flats or home offices up to 40 sq m, depending on the final regulation. Easing of these planning regulations to allow for larger, unattached structures to be built in people's back gardens and sites is a welcome development

have grown up. In that context, it is important to make sure this legislation is primarily for families with, maybe, a two-year exemption period where someone has used it and they have moved on and then it could possibly be extended under the rent-a-room scheme … people have that annex available. I am very conscious that there are a lot of cowboy operators out there who have built unauthorised developments in back gardens and are renting them out. They are not registered with the tenancies board so we have to make sure this

have seen a specific example of that working through in Fingal County Council. We need to allow some time for further policy development and implementation. The proposed amendment of the Environmental Protection Agency Act 1992 to treat noise from a drone as a nuisance may be problematic … think that needs to be looked at within the framework itself. In many jurisdictions, including Ireland, existing environmental protection legislation specifically exempts aircraft noise from local authority regulation. A drone at the moment comes within the definition of "aircraft". Nuisance law often relies on individual complaints and legal

down the length and breadth of this country. They will help our planning authorities by giving clear direction with regard to subdivision, exemptions, modular homes, and the subdivision of properties into houses and apartments. That is all to be welcomed. I hope that initiative of the Minister … every village and town of derelict, defunct buildings that are lying there for years and years. People were afraid of the planning system. Developers and investors were afraid of it. The Minister of State's initiative will give surety to the planners and people who might

important to recognise that the scheme provides relief from VRT and VAT on the use of adapted cars. It also provides an exemption from motor tax and an annual fuel grant scheme for anyone who holds a primary medical certificate. In 2024, €150 million was spent … roll on four years, despite the fact that my Department has made a significant contribution to the national disability inclusion strategy to develop a proposal that would be fit for purpose and would mirror international best practice, we do not seem to be any further along

might be more vulnerable to exploitation when it comes to pay and conditions. I do not accept the Department's response that this exemption is needed to ensure the legislation is proportionate. I will raise a couple of points on the subject of workers. The biggest challenge facing … reform. Frankly, it is unforgiveable that almost six years on from the first Covid lockdown, we have made virtually no progress on developing a new model of care for older people. Reports have been published, evaluations are ongoing and a commission is under way but what

than in the rule. He stated: We knew the story of the international rules-based order was partially false. That the strongest would exempt themselves when convenient. That trade rules were enforced asymmetrically. And we knew that international law applied with varying rigour depending on the identity … between the United States and the European Union. The fact is that the industrial policy of recent, successive Governments and our failure to develop a strong enough indigenous sector to complement our strong foreign direct investment sector, as well as diversifying in terms of markets and exports

want to single out one sector over another, but there is an elephant in the room. We know that the nitrates directive exemption has been extended again. Ireland was straining to make those arguments. In the context of the Boyne, agriculture was the top significant pressure impacting … engagement on the management of our rivers and the inclusion of community experts and those in our communities who care about our rivers’ development and future. An opportunity has been missed in this regard, which is unfortunate

Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if the Planning and Development (Exempted Development) (No. 2) Regulations 2025 have been signed into law; if Section 10.6, which provides for the extension of exempted development provisions allowing for a change

Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of IPAS accommodation centres currently operating with the exempted development regulations set out in SI No. 605/2022, S.I. No. 376/2023, and section 181 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, with … breakdown by local authority area, exempted development type and number of people accommodated in each category. [3959/26

Deputy Brian Brennan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the progress of exempted development regulations; when the details of what is included in the new regulations will be provided for modular garden units; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3059/26

Deputy Ann Graves asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage for an update on the exempted development regulations, given that public consultation closed in August 2025. [3220/26

Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide an update on the exempted development regulations on free-standing residential home extensions. [2291/26