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RTÉ News
7 hours ago
- Politics
- RTÉ News
Cabinet to discuss detached modular home planning rules
Detached modular homes up to 45-square-metres built in a back garden will be exempt from the requirement to seek planning permission under proposals to be discussed by Cabinet today. The plan is being brought forward by Minister of State for Planning John Cummins along with Minister for Housing James Browne. The proposed changes include allowing an exemption for detached modular homes to the rear of a dwelling with a size up to 45 sq.m. The unit must comply with building regulations while the size of the residual private garden space of 25 sq.m must be retained and set back from boundary walls. Under current rules, an extension to the rear of a property is exempt from planning once it is 40 sq.m and is attached to the property. Minister Cummins has said the plan is a practical and common-sense move which will provide housing options for people such as those with a disability or young persons who wish to live independently of the family home in the short term. It will also give the option for parents who wish to right-size within their own community while maintaining the support of their family. A four-week public consultation will begin today. Electricity supply bill A new law with the aim of strengthening the resilience of the electricity grid will also be discussed by he Cabinet today. The bill is a response to the prolonged electricity outages seen after Storm Éowyn earlier this year. Minister for Energy Darragh O'Brien is bringing the outline of the Electricity Supply Amendment Bill which will set standards for forestry maintenance and planting. Storm Éowyn caused extensive and widespread disruption to the electricity network, with damage ranging from broken poles and lines to significant destruction in several areas. The storm exposed critical vulnerabilities regarding unmanaged vegetation and commercial forestry close to electricity infrastructure. The bill will set out a statutory regime to safeguard electricity infrastructure when passing through forestry. It will give additional vegetation management powers to ESB Networks, and the attachment of maintenance responsibilities to landowners with a compensation mechanism to their interests. Infrastructure report Minister for Public Expenditure Jack Chambers is to bring a report by the department's infrastructure division outlining barriers delaying the delivery of infrastructure following consultation and engagement. These include the increased regulatory and legal burden for those developing key infrastructure, inconsistent planning decisions, and limits on regulatory agencies' ability to prioritise and consider wider societal aims and limited public awareness of the consequences of poor infrastructure. The report will place a heavy emphasis on the impact of judicial reviews and the growing threat of judicial reviews on the delivery of key infrastructure. It is estimated that the planning and consenting process for critical infrastructure takes three to five years longer due to the added threat, duration and impact of judicial reviews. Exclusions Ireland campaigned for in EU-US deal The Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment Peter Burke is to update the Cabinet today on details of the trade deal between the EU and US. Mr Burke will outline some of the carve-outs or exclusions Ireland had campaigned for as part of the negotiations, including a zero-for zero-arrangement on aviation. Minister Burke will also set out the supports that are available from Enterprise Ireland for businesses impacted by the 15% tariff on most goods exported to the US. The supports include a new market research grant of up to €35,000 available from next month. It will be available to companies to assess the impact of tariffs and other trade measures and to develop measures which will address pricing, supply chain and cost challenges. The minister is also set to update his colleagues on the views and concerns of the IDA and key business voices as a result of the trade deal, as the work continues on working out the finer details of the framework deal.
Irish Examiner
08-07-2025
- Business
- Irish Examiner
Developers with apartment planning permissions can alter design to adhere to new standards
Developers with existing apartment planning permissions will be able to alter their design to adhere to new standards, the Government has announced. New laws are to be introduced to allow apartment developments change their internal design once permission has been received, allowing more units be built through removal of other aspects of the building. Planning minister John Cummins said the change was being made to ensure apartments that have received permission do not restart the planning process to change their design. Sources in the Department of Housing said it would allow for developers to change the number of units within a specific development, but it must remain within the footprint as outlined in the original planning application. It is understood there would be a requirement to resubmit drawings to local authorities if changes are made, but sources said it would not be a full restart to the planning process. It comes as housing minister James Browne received Cabinet approval for new apartment standards to make their development more viable. As part of these changes, there will be reductions in the minimum size for apartments and removing the requirement for cultural spaces to be built within developments. However, sources in the Department of Housing have stressed there will be no changes to requirements for private communal spaces within apartment blocks. This means areas like green spaces or courtyards will still be required to be delivered. However, planning authorities will be able to accept a reduced number of balconies if there is 'high quality' communal spaces provided, or if the development is close to main roads or on taller buildings with high-wind conditions. The Government has insisted as much as €100,000 could be saved through the new guidelines, with sources saying the figure emerged through research from the Land Development Agency. Among the changes made will be to reduce the minimum size of a studio apartment from 37sq m to 32sq m. Sources said this was due to the size of studio apartments being too large compared to the European average. It comes as Focus Ireland has called on the Government to prove the regulations allowing for smaller apartment sizes will lead to lower costs and greater availability of homes. Mike Allen, its director of advocacy said 'most of the evidence' shows this would just lead to higher profits for developers, or higher land prices without other measures also brought in. 'We're sceptical as to whether that will work in terms of its effectiveness,' he said, adding cutting the size does not necessarily lead to cheaper apartments. Mr Allen said a contrast with successful schemes of smaller apartments in Finland was that a lot of attention was paid to the 'social context of the housing'. 'There are public areas in the unit, and there's a whole range of 'living in the community' in which there's public space you can use,' he said. 'So it's the two-fold thing. The concern is smaller sizes and getting rid of some of the social protections and measures that will lead to greater social integration. 'From what we're hearing, there is a worry that we may be facilitating in the longer term what will become very low-grade, unattractive housing in the years to come.' Read More Housing assistance payment driving people to homelessness, charity warns
BreakingNews.ie
08-07-2025
- Business
- BreakingNews.ie
Government eases apartment size rules aiming to cut costs and boost supply
New Government guidelines will allow for smaller apartment sizes and more flexible layouts, in a move aimed at jumpstarting stalled developments and reducing construction costs. The revised Planning Design Standards for Apartments announced on Tuesday by Housing Minister James Browne and Minister of State for Planning John Cummins relax existing rules on internal space, dual aspect ratios, ceiling heights, and other design elements. Advertisement The changes are intended to lower construction costs by an average of €50,000 to €100,000 per unit in some cases, making apartment projects more viable amid soaring building expenses. Crucially, Browne said, this will be done without compromising on disability, fire regulations, or environmental requirements. The new guidelines reduce the minimum size of studio apartments from 37 square metres to 32 square metres. Minister Browne said the current regulatory framework has created 'blockages' in apartment delivery, contributing to a slowdown in construction. Advertisement 'We are acting in response to a housing crisis. There are blockages to apartment building in the regulations we have, we can see that in the slowdown in our much-needed pipeline of apartments. We are taking decisive action, without compromising on any essential regulations, to ensure apartments are viable to build," he said. 'If we are to achieve a serious acceleration in housing delivery, we have to engage every mechanism available to achieve our ambition for people to have the homes they need to grow up and grow old in." Amended planning laws Alongside the updated design standards, the Government also plans to amend planning laws to allow developers to revise existing planning permissions, such as changing internal layouts, without needing to reapply, provided construction has not yet started. Minister Cummins said the reforms are part of a broader strategy to boost housing delivery across urban areas. Advertisement 'A key consideration in bringing forward these changes was a desire to ensure we did not see apartment schemes going back to the start of the planning process for redesign," he said. "That is why Government approval has been received today to bring forward amendments to the Planning and Development Amendment Bill (2025) to enable development schemes which currently benefit from planning permission, but have not been commenced, to be altered without the need for a new planning application. 'This is a common sense and practical time bound measure, which is carefully calibrated to ensure changes can be made to the internal layout of a permitted structure which may assist with the viability of proposed schemes that have not been commenced. 'The introduction of these revised planning standards will further incentivise construction - ensuring that high standards of accommodation for future occupants will be retained while addressing the under-supply of apartments.' Advertisement The new guidelines are part of a broader government push to meet the National Planning Framework target of 50,000 new homes per year through 2040, with a strong focus on compact, urban development. The following minimum apartment floor areas shall apply and statutory plans shall not specify minimum floor areas that exceed the minimum floor areas set out below: Studio apartment (one person) 32sq.m; One-bedroom apartment (Two people) 45 sq.m; Two-bedroom apartment (Three people) 63 sq.m; Two-bedroom apartment (Four people) 73 sq.m; Three-bedroom apartment (Four people) 76 sq. m; Three-bedroom apartment (Five people) 90 sq.m. The floor area parameters set out above shall generally apply to apartment schemes and do not apply to purpose-built and managed student housing.
Irish Independent
03-07-2025
- Business
- Irish Independent
Galway City sees Local Property Tax surplus for another year
The Housing Department announced that an additional €42m will be added to the LPT 'baseline funding' next year. This will bring the allocation from €696m in 2025 to €744m in 2026. Over the three years leading up to 2026, baseline funding has risen steadily, up 33% overall. Local authorities receive a baseline funding amount to guide their budgeting. If an authority collects less LPT revenue than this baseline, it receives an additional allocation to equalise or given a 'boost'. Conversely, if it collects more than the baseline, the surplus must be directed toward roads, housing, and similar projects. In 2025, Galway City is in a €5m surplus for local authority use. For 2026, a provisional €2m increase in LPT revenue is projected. Local government and Planning Minister, John Cummins said: 'For the 10 surplus Local Authorities, they will see significant uplift which will assist them in delivering urban regeneration projects for the benefit of their growing communities.' The Local Authority is 'essential' to the servicing of Galway city said Housing Minister James Browne and 'each of them will now see an increase in funding in line with their increased yield.' While homeowners are expected to see a slight rise in their Local Property Tax bills, most will remain within their current valuation bands. It is noted that yield from this specific increase will also go to the local authority. 'Those who are paying local property taxes deserve to see their contribution at work in their local areas and today I have made changes to ensure more locally sourced revenue is spent where it comes from.' County Galway is expected to be an authority that requires equalisation meaning the LPT will amount to less than the baseline set out, and funding will be provided to them.
Irish Times
19-06-2025
- Health
- Irish Times
Sale of vapes to be restricted in same way as cigarettes under new legislation
Restrictions on the sale and marketing of tobacco products will be extended to vapes as part of legislation to be introduced by Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill. The Public Health (Nicotine Inhaling Products) Bill will require shops to hide vapes in the same way as they do for tobacco so that they are out of sight in shops where children may be present. The legislation will include restrictions on the use of colours and imagery on devices and their packaging so that any products on display are not brightly coloured or covered in cartoons. The Bill will also introduce an advertising ban in all retail premises where nicotine inhaling products – vapes – are sold. READ MORE It will prohibit the sale of single-use vapes, 'as these are disproportionately used by young people, not to mention the environmental impacts associated with them' said Minister of State with responsibility for Local Government and Planning John Cummins. The legislation will also ban devices which resemble toys or games. And it will 'significantly restrict the flavours available for sale and ensure that only basic flavour names are used'. [ Vape shops selling Dubai chocolate and Prime energy drinks branded 'a new low' Opens in new window ] Mr Cummins outlined the measures in the Seanad in response to Fine Gael Senator Mark Duffy who called for strong regulation of vaping products. Mr Duffy said they did not know the health risks of vaping. 'We didn't know the health risks of tobacco in the early days and we have learned how devastating that was.' The Mayo-based Senator said 'the association with candy and sweets is clearly a cynical move to target young people in particular to use it as a stepping stone or to get them addicted to vaping products'. 'People can still have a choice but vaping cannot be proliferated and done in a cynical way that is targeting young and vulnerable people,' he said. Mr Cummins said the Bill will regulate to reduce the appeal of vapes to young people. Currently there is a one-off registration system for tobacco and no registration system for the sale of nicotine inhaling products such as vapes, he said. 'This has led to vapes being sold in the likes of sweet shops, butchers, phone repair shops and fast-food takeaways.' From February next year retailers will have to apply annually for a licence, including a declaration that they comply with all relevant law in this area. There will be increased penalties for retailers who commit offences, including minimum licence suspension periods and revocation of the licence entirely for retailers who commit two or more serious offences, such as selling to a minor. The legislation will also prohibit the sale of tobacco and nicotine inhaling products from self-service vending machines and events aimed at children, and licences will not be granted to temporary or movable premises, such as those at festivals.
