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LAST UPDATE | 8 Apr
LOCAL AUTHORITIES MUST “move with urgency” to reopen their local development plans and rezone land for housing, Housing Minister James Browne has said.
“I think any local authority that delays on this, I think will be seeing the wrath of the public very, very quickly,” said Browne.
Speaking at a housing summit in Croke Park in Dublin this afternoon, Browne said councils must expand the amount of land available for housing “by the end of the year” in order for housing targets of an average of 50,500 per year to be reached.
His comments come as Cabinet signed off on the revised National Planning Framework (NPF) which, subject to the approval of both Houses of the Oireachtas, aims to accelerate housing delivery in Ireland.
When asked if a deadline will be imposed on councils for land rezoning, the minister said that would be “challenging” because local democracy is independent.
However, he told the conference today that he expects local authorities to have it completed by Christmas, stating the government will be impressing on councils how they must work “at speed”.
“I don’t see any reason why they won’t be able to access this land by the end of the year. So, we will get this legislation through the Houses of the Oireachtas quite quickly in the coming weeks,” he added.
“The local authorities can do it quite quickly and I expect to see local authorities move with the urgency that I’m moving with,” he added.
“I’ll expect the urgency so that we can deliver those homes that we need,” he said.
Separately, the Department of Public Expenditure is to begin a review of Ireland’s National Development Plan (NDP), the outline of large-scale government investment strategy, following government approval today.
The review will cover all public capital investment up until 2035, including Exchequer funds, the Apple Escrow funds, the Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund, and proceeds of the AIB share sales, Minister for Public Expenditure Jack Chambers has announced.
Chambers said the review of the NDP would “refocus and re-energise” the delivery of infrastructure.
A pledge to review the NDP was included in the Programme for Government agreed by members of the governing coalition in January. The Programme said an “early review” should be completed by July of this year.
The Department also said that the delivery of housing would be a particular focus of the review.
Announcing the NDP review today, Chambers said that delivering essential infrastructure was “a key driver in attracting and retaining investment in Ireland, growing our economy, fostering regional development, delivering on our housing targets and achieving our ambitious climate goals”.
“In the coming weeks, I will bring forward to Government my plans for implementing the Programme for Government commitments on infrastructure reform, focusing on delivery, accountability and value for money.”
Chambers said that “stable, long-term delivery of essential infrastructure is an absolute priority for the Government”.
With reporting by David MacRedmond
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