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Overview of Activities and Structure Prepared by the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government housing.gov.ie
Contents
1. Introduction and Overview ............................................................................... 4
2. Strategic Priorities ............................................................................................. 6
2.1 Housing - Introduction .................................................................................... 6
2.2 Social Housing Delivery ................................................................................. 7
2.3 Homelessness ............................................................................................... 8
2.4 Housing Policy & Social Housing Reform ...................................................... 9
2.5 Rental Market Strategy ................................................................................ 11
2.6 Planning to meet Housing Demand ............................................................. 12
2.7 Housing Affordability .................................................................................... 17
2.8 Housing Delivery and Viability and the Land Development Agency ............. 18
2.9 Defects & Building Control Reform .............................................................. 19
2.10 Vacancy and Efficient Use of Stock ........................................................... 20
2.11 Climate change .......................................................................................... 21
2.12 Project Ireland 2040 ................................................................................... 22
2.13 Planning Policy and efficiency of the planning system ............................... 28
2.14 National Marine Planning Framework ........................................................ 29
2.15 The Water Sector – Strategic Goals .......................................................... 30
2.16 Transformation of Irish Water as a single publicly-owned utility................. 30
2.17 Irish Water Eastern/Midlands Region Water Supply Project ...................... 31
2.18 Water Quality on Land and in the Marine .................................................. 31
2.19 Franchise ................................................................................................... 32
Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government
2.20 Role and Remuneration of Local Authority Elected Members.................... 34
2.21 Directly Elected Mayor – Limerick.............................................................. 34
2.22 Commercial Rates and Covid-19 ............................................................... 35
2.23 National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management ....................... 35
2.24 Met Éireann ............................................................................................... 36
2.25 Bid for European Centre for Medium Range Forecasting facility ............... 37
3. Covid-19 and the Department ......................................................................... 38
4. Brexit ................................................................................................................ 42
5. Funding the Department’s Programmes ....................................................... 44
Appendix 1 – Staff Details ........................................................................................ 49
Appendix 2 - Agencies under the aegis of the Department ...................................... 51
Appendix 3 – Local Government Audit Service / NOAC / WAB ................................ 52
2
Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government
3
Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government
1. Introduction and Overview
This section sets out the Department’s mission and goals; its structure and the
number of personnel.
The mission of the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government
(DHPLG) is to support sustainable development, with a particular focus on strategic
planning, the efficient delivery of well-planned homes in vibrant communities and the
sustainable management of our water resources, and to ensure effective local
government.
In pursuing this mission its goals are to:
ensure that planning and building in our regions and communities contributes to
sustainable and balanced development;
provide for a stable, sustainable supply of good quality housing;
provide a framework for the sustainable management of water resources from
source to sea;
support and enable democratic, responsive and effective local government,
effective electoral management and high quality fire services and emergency
management; and
serve society through the production and communication of reliable weather and
climate information to protect life and property and to further enhance Met
Éireann’s role as the authoritative voice on meteorology in Ireland.
These goals mean that the Department has a broad and varied business agenda,
delivered through 7 Divisions: Housing Policy Legislation and Governance; Housing
Delivery; Planning; Local Government; Water; Met Éireann and Corporate and
Business Support. In addition, the Local Government Audit Service, independent in
its professional functions, is also part of the Department.
In total, the Department is staffed by 787.62 full-time equivalents (FTEs), primarily
located in Dublin, Wexford and Ballina. The staff comprises both general
administrators and a wide variety of professional/technical disciplines (including civil
engineers, architects, and scientists).
The chart in Appendix 1 sets out the structure of the Department and provides
details of the Management Board and Heads of Business Units.
4
Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government
Much of our work is carried out in close co-operation with the 31 local authorities and
a number of specific agencies that are charged with regulatory, policy support and
implementation. In terms of housing delivery, the Department also works with a
range of Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) and NGOs. The Department also has
direct front-facing functions such as Met Éireann operations, Emergency
Management coordination and foreshore licensing.
Details in relation to our main agencies are summarised in Appendix 2.
In broad terms, the Department’s functions are grouped around the theme of
sustainable development, which provides an economic and social rationale for
distinct areas, including physical and spatial planning, social housing delivery and
the creation of sustainable communities, and provision of water services. The
Department’s leadership of policy and strategy in its functional areas is underpinned
by a series of distinct legislative codes – for the local government system, elections,
physical planning, water services, housing, building control and fire protection.
There is an EU dimension to the Department’s role, primarily in relation to the
environmental aspects of the Department’s functions, i.e. water, marine, planning
and building regulations. EU environmental policy and legislation has a major
influence on national environmental, planning and water legislation. The Department
has a substantial workload in the negotiation and subsequent transposition of EU
Directives, and challenges remain in certain aspects of compliance.
In terms of Brexit, a number of issues arise for the Department, particularly in the
area of planning, building control, construction products and market issues and the
Department is represented on a range of interdepartmental Brexit groups.
This brief contains an outline of the main issues within the work programmes of the
Department. A brief description of the Local Government Audit Service, the National
Oversight and Audit Commission and the Water Advisory Board are included at
Appendix 3. A fuller discussion of the key issues and the Minister’s priorities will be
facilitated through an early discussion between the Minister and the Management
Board and a series of engagements with individual Divisions.
5Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government
2. Strategic Priorities
2.1 Housing - Introduction
Delivering the commitments in the Programme for Government in relation to housing
will continue to dominate the Department’s agenda over the coming years. Success
in addressing housing challenges is also very much dependent on alignment with
policies in other business areas of the Department’s work which support the delivery
of housing by ensuring that the supporting, planning policy, infrastructure and
services are in place to enable development.
Following the period of economic shock from 2008 onwards, housing in the State
was characterised by volatility in the rental sector, slow supply in the private sector
and decreased investment in the social sector. The Pillars outlined in the Rebuilding
Ireland: Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness, centred around addressing
rising homelessness, increasing social housing delivery through all means,
accelerating supply in the private market, improving the rental sector and utilising
existing housing and vacant lands, and these Pillars have driven a multitude of
actions to address the housing crisis in the intervening period.
The Department closely measures progress across all actions to ensure that these
key strategic priorities are given focus and effort. The continued increase in
investment together with alignment of delivery across housing, planning, water and
related sectors is bearing fruit, with results indicating significant progress. Mindful
that the pace of that improvement may seem slow to those who are in need of
housing - when viewed as starting from a standpoint of virtually no supply and
constrained capacity - the concerted action taken in recent years has stimulated
development across the board, with year on year increases in overall housing
supply.
By the end of 2019, over 31,200 of the 50,000 new social homes initially targeted for
delivery under Rebuilding Ireland through build, acquisition and leasing by end-2021,
had been delivered. In total more than 100,000 social housing supports across all
delivery streams have been provided to families and individuals on social housing
waiting lists. Waiting lists have reduced from 91,600 in 2016 to 68,693 in 2019, a
reduction of 25% and 18,914 adults have exited from homelessness during this
period.
Delivering more social housing, particularly new build homes, and addressing
homelessness will remain key priorities, as will using the levers available to the
Department to encourage housing supply generally and to improve the rental market.
6Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government
The Department will also prioritise its work in areas such as improving affordability
and viability in housing, which is key to targeting the cohort of people who are above
social housing eligibility thresholds, but are experiencing affordability challenges.
While delivering on a wide range of agreed actions, the Department revises and
adapts strategies as and when necessary to respond to changes in the external
environment. The National Planning Framework, as part of Project Ireland 2040,
provides the overarching settlement strategy to guide balanced regional
development and compact growth. This sets an important framework at national,
regional and local level to support the development of sustainable communities in
higher density mixed tenure and high quality developments.
Housing policy also reflects the importance of climate change and the changing
demographics of Irish society. It must also respond to the impact of Covid-19 and
Brexit which both bring immediate challenges to the delivery of our objectives.
In terms of the impact of Covid-19, it will be a priority for the Department to
consolidate the gains the State has made in recent years in housing delivery. This
will be dependent on ensuring that the actions under Rebuilding Ireland are built on
in accordance with the priorities set out in the Programme for Government.
2.2 Social Housing Delivery
The Department continues to accelerate the provision of social housing through a
blend of delivery vehicles to ensure sufficient supply to meet existing and future
demand, at a cost that represents value for the Exchequer. The approach to
delivering social housing homes is not the same in each local authority area and that
is why flexibility is required in terms of delivery. While building new homes is a key
strategic objective, in terms of value for money and speed of delivery, it will be
important to continue to acquire homes in some areas, particularly rural areas.
Increased investment, both capital and current, may also be required to ensure that
the State can respond to any increased demand for social housing supports if the
economic recovery is slow following the Covid-19 pandemic.
The current target is to reach the delivery of 12,000 social housing homes per year
by 2021 through building, acquiring or leasing housing, with the focus having moved
incrementally to increasing new build. This trajectory will support the delivery of
50,000 new social housing homes, as committed to in the Programme for
Government.
Future targets will need to align with high level parameters put forward under the
National Development Plan to 2027, which is undergoing review.
7Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government
At the same time, other methods of providing social housing supports, such as
through Housing Assistance Payment or the Rental Accommodation Scheme, will
continue to be necessary to meet demand which currently outstrips supply. The
waiting list for social housing remains significant at approximately 68,000 households
in June 2019. Therefore, the Department will also continue to provide other housing
supports, though the overall targets for those will start to reduce as the stock of
social housing homes begins to converge with demand levels in the medium term.
A blend of housing delivery across build, acquisition and leasing and the appropriate
deployment of capital and current budgets is necessary to deliver the maximum
output of homes for Exchequer investment. In addition, continuing to harness the
capacity and expertise of the Approved Housing Body (AHB) sector in the provision,
and management of homes will be critical. The transition from voluntary to statutory
regulation of AHBs will support this process.
2.3 Homelessness
The Department’s role in relation to homelessness involves the provision of a
national framework of policy, legislation and funding to underpin the role of housing
authorities in addressing homelessness at local level. Statutory responsibility for the
provision of accommodation and related services for homeless persons rests with
housing authorities.
Homeless services are administered at regional level, with nine administrative
regions established to coordinate the delivery of services. The Department works
closely with the nine regional lead authorities, including the Dublin Region Homeless
Executive, on the delivery and implementation of homeless measures.
While increasing the supply of housing is essential to resolve homelessness, a wider
range of interventions are required to deliver solutions for many of the households
experiencing homelessness. In particular, many of the households experiencing
homelessness have complex health support requirements, for which ongoing health
supports are provided in emergency accommodation. Such supports often require
more long-term packages to ensure that the household can exit to a home on a
sustainable basis. As such, there is an extensive focus on inter-agency cooperation
both at the national and regional levels. The commitment in the Programme for
Government in relation to HSE support in this area is welcome.
For those experiencing homelessness, the policy objective is to provide appropriate
emergency accommodation and the necessary supports. Households in emergency
accommodation receive supports from local authorities and their service delivery
partners.
8Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government
These include the provision of supports to identify and secure a home, utilising the
various social housing supports available, including an allocation to a local authority
property, a property owned by an Approved Housing Body (AHB) or a HAP-
supported tenancy in the private rented market.
HAP and the Homeless HAP Placefinders service are playing a central role in
securing homes for many households experiencing homelessness, frequently
allowing a tenancy to be secured for a household, assessed as homeless, before the
household is required to enter emergency accommodation.
Where households in emergency accommodation require additional supports,
beyond housing, to exit emergency accommodation, a range of wrap-around
supports are available. Housing First provides long-term housing and wrap around
health and housing support to rough sleepers and long-term users of emergency
accommodation. The National Implementation Plan, published in 2018, includes a
target for 663 Housing First tenancies in the period to 2021.
The longer term work to address homelessness, and social housing more generally,
requires increased focus on ensuring provision of the right supply of housing in the
right location. For example, more one-bedroom homes are required to address the
high numbers of single persons in emergency accommodation. In some areas, there
are also shortages of appropriate homes for larger families.
2.4 Housing Policy & Social Housing Reform
The Department aims to ensure that the social housing system efficiently delivers
social housing supports that are fair, sustainable, and prioritise those most in need.
The Programme for Government identifies the need to bring forward a package of
social housing reforms, in areas such as differential rent and tenant purchase. This is
welcome reform to ensure that our systems are responsive to current needs, as
witnessed very clearly by the response to Covid-19.
The methods for the delivery of housing supports have been expanded and
improved under Rebuilding Ireland and it is opportune now to examine the policy and
legislative framework against the spectrum of housing need, to ensure the continued
effective, efficient and fair targeting of State supports. The Department will undertake
reform of the policy framework for social housing in accordance with the Programme
for Government building on considerable work completed to date in this area.
Aligned to the reform agenda, the Programme for Government references both a
Commission on Housing and consideration of a Referendum on Housing. The
Department will work to establish appropriate frameworks to progress both these
goals.
9Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government
All aspects of housing policy will need to respond to emerging demographic
challenges ahead. The ageing of our population represents a significant
demographic and societal challenge, with the number of people over the age of 65
expected to reach 1.4 million by 2040, or about 23% of the total population.
The Department, jointly with the Department of Health, will continue to implement the
actions under the Housing for our Ageing Population policy statement which
supports the development of housing on centrally located sites within urban areas.
Research shows that good quality, well connected, urban centres with a range and
choice of housing tenures and types actively supports ageing in place. The issues
raised regarding nursing homes during the Covid-19 crises are also relevant in this
regard.
Noting the ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities
and the need to consider the particular challenges for persons with disabilities in
housing terms, as referred to in the Programme for Government, the Department will
continue to progress its objectives under the National Disability Inclusion Strategy
and the National Housing Strategy for People with a Disability which will shortly fall
due for review.
The Department will continue to focus on increasing the provision of Traveller
accommodation. A dedicated capital budget is in place to fund the delivery of
Traveller-specific accommodation. The National Traveller Accommodation
Consultative Committee recommended the establishment of an independent expert
group to review the effectiveness, implementation and operation of relevant
legislation and to put forward proposals to improve delivery of Traveller
accommodation nationally. The Expert Group submitted its report in July 2019. The
Department is now working on a Programme of Projects to oversee and implement
agreed recommendations.
In response to the COVID-19 health emergency, funding has been made available to
address identified and emerging health risks to the Traveller population, particularly
as some members of the Traveller community, such as those living on sites with
limited facilities, may be particularly vulnerable. There will be a need for continued
focus on this as the situation evolves.
10Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government
2.5 Rental Market Strategy
The Rental sector in Ireland has continued to grow in importance, with the demand
for rental accommodation outstripping a restricted supply. This places upward
pressure on rents which are at an all-time high, are unsustainable and are causing
affordability issues for those with low incomes and the more vulnerable of our
citizens.
While the supply of private and social housing has increased, with cost rental and
affordable housing due to come on stream over the coming years, supply is not yet
at a scale to have a sufficient impact on the rental market. The Programme for
Government identifies a number of objectives in terms of the Rental Sector and the
Department will work towards achieving the aims set out.
Significant work has been done to protect tenants throughout the Covid-19 crisis and
the longer term impact on the sector remains to be seen. The expiry of the
moratorium on evictions will need to be carefully managed, and will be supported by
research being conducted by the ESRI on behalf of the Department. There is some
potential that a reduction in migration and the reintroduction of short term units into
the longer term rental market may have a positive effect on the sector.
The Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Act 2019 brought considerable change to
how the Private Rental Sector operates. A further General Scheme of the Housing
and Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Bill has been drafted for Ministerial
consideration. The proposed Bill is intended to include a number of further measures
to provide greater security of tenure for tenants and greater legal clarity as to the
tenancy rights, responsibilities and obligations in place during a receivership
process, as well as protections related to overcrowding under the Housing Acts.
The Department has driven numerous measures, including the designation of Rent
Pressure Zones (RPZs), to seek to constrain the overall increases in rent. Ongoing
monitoring of the impact of such measures will be critical going forward through the
Residential Tenancies Board’s (RTB) Quarterly Rent Index Reports. The RTB’s
move to annual registration in 2021 will provide more granular data around the
factors influencing rent increases and will enable more proactive enforcement of their
sanctioning powers.
In recognition of the pressures faced by tenants, the Government prioritised extra
resources for the RTB and the introduction of a number of key legal provisions under
the Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Act 2019 to enhance the RTB’s
enforcement powers, provide greater security of tenure for tenants, and improve the
efficacy of the RPZ arrangements.
11Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government
Further short to medium term priorities include:
- ensuring that the renting of properties is an attractive option for owners with
vacant properties, including for Fair Deal participants, and an attractive
investment option generally;
- addressing any potential rent arrears accumulating in the rental sector during the
Covid-19 period; and
- addressing the expiry of the RPZ designations in December 2021.
Ultimately, the most effective way to reduce and stabilise rents in the medium to long
term, with benefits for the entire sector, is to increase supply and accelerate delivery
of housing for the private and social rental sector.
2.6 Planning to meet Housing Demand
The National Planning Framework (NPF), prepared by the Department as a key pillar
of Project Ireland 2040, is the high-level long-term strategic spatial plan for shaping
the future growth and development of our country (both the NPF and the National
Development Plan are detailed further on in the Brief).
The NPF identifies a need for at least 25,000 new homes every year to 2040, to
accommodate around one million additional people in Ireland and recognises that
this will need to be at a level of around 30,000 homes per annum in the years to
2027. In addition to affordability, the key spatial planning issue is that these homes
are of the type and at the location where they are most needed to meet projected
housing demand, particularly in the context of changing demographics. All
indications are that as the population ages and becomes more diverse, household
size is becoming smaller and there is a need for a greater choice of housing type.
It is a core element of the NPF strategy that there is a focus on new homes being
located within existing built-up areas, as close as possible to services, including
transport, as well as employment and amenities, to enable people to travel more
sustainably and to support the future viability of settlements of all sizes, in the form of
‘compact growth’.
The NPF also enables local authorities to undertake Housing Need and Demand
Assessments to better project and plan for future housing demand and to inform
local authority housing strategies.
Overall housing supply has more than trebled, to almost 25,000 homes per annum in
the six years to 2019. Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Department expected that
a continuation of trends in housing supply would result in the delivery of numbers
exceeding 25,000 new homes in 2020.
12Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government
Notwithstanding Covid 19, the supply pipeline remains strong, with almost 50,000
new homes granted planning permission in the year to March 2020. On this basis, it
is feasible that housing supply could increase to almost 30,000 homes per annum by
2022, but this would be subject to complementary policies that can address
affordability, delivery and viability.
Housing Activity Indicators
Planning permissions for 40,252 homes were granted in 2019, up 38% year on
year, including permissions granted through the fast-track Strategic Housing
Development (SHD) process.
13Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government
In the year to end March 2020, commencement notices for 26,541 new homes
were submitted, an annual increase of 8%.
14Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government
In the year to end March 2020, registrations for Homebond, an insurance
scheme that relates primarily to multiple unit housing schemes, totalled 11,443,
an annual increase of 4%. Annual registrations continue to be in excess of
10,000 units, 2008 was the last year when this occurred.
15Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government
The Central Statistics Office published their New Dwelling Completions quarterly
series for the first time in June of 2018. Data for the period to the year ending
March 2020 was published on 07 May 2020. The numbers of new homes
becoming available for use1 in the year ending March 2020 was 25,055. This is
a 13% increase on the same time last year.
New Dwelling Completions for the same period totalled 21,870, an increase of
17% on the total a year ago, when 18,732 dwellings were completed. 643
unfinished homes were completed and 2,542 homes that were vacant for at least
2 years were brought back into use in the year ending March 2020.
The numbers employed in the construction industry were up 2% year on year to
147,700 as at March 2020, a significant increase on the 119,400 employed in the
sector in June 2016.
1 New homes available for use is the sum of new dwelling completions, dwellings that were vacant for
at least two years and unfinished homes.
16Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government
2.7 Housing Affordability
Despite the rapid increases in supply, demand for housing in urban locations
continues to exceed supply. This has implications for the price and affordability of
residential accommodation, whether as a buyer or renter. In terms of housing
supply, the Department will continue to accelerate measures that will result in a
greater scale and pace of delivery of housing. However, while increased housing
supply remains a critical strategic objective, it will not alone be sufficient, and
affordability measures will be a priority for this Department.
The Department will continue the work already begun to increase the provision of
affordable housing through measures such as the Serviced Sites Fund and the Local
Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund and to assist buyers who wish to purchase
homes through expansion of the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan. Other incentives
provided by other Departments, such as Help to Buy, will also continue to be
important.
The Department will also prioritise the implementation of the Affordable Purchase
Scheme, including ensuring the primary legislation reflects Government priorities, the
development of regulations, guidance and support of delivery programmes relating to
same.
Having regard to the Programme for Government, it will also be a priority to examine
the provisions of Part V of the Planning & Development Act to explore what may be
possible in terms of expanding its use for affordable and cost rental housing.
In addition, it is intended to bring forward a comprehensive Cost Rental housing
policy, which will represent a very significant new housing tenure over the long term
and go towards addressing affordability challenges for those who are not eligible for
social housing. This work will be informed by substantive preliminary work which
has been undertaken by an interdepartmental/agency Cost Rental Working Group,
convened in mid-2019, and which has developed working papers in the area
including potential financial model and implementation structures for Cost Rental.
The development of a national Cost Rental policy will also be informed by the
Department’s recently initiated Cost Rental research programme which is being
undertaken by the European Investment Bank. This work will be completed in
December 2020 and will provide advice on the potential market demand for a Cost
Rental model in Ireland, an appropriately scalable and sustainable financing and
investment structure, and provide international examples of good practice.
17Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government
Given the likely Exchequer cost of investing in affordable housing through the range
of affordability measures detailed above, there is a clear need to focus funds on
locations where housing affordability is most acute. This requires an approach
based on location, informed by considerations of cost and income and the
Department will continue to expand its capacity to pinpoint the areas with the highest
requirements for affordable housing and target investment appropriately.
2.8 Housing Delivery and Viability and the Land Development
Agency
Essential to ensuring the delivery of housing at affordable levels in the right
locations, is the question of viability. In areas where anticipated sales prices are
below the cost of production of a new housing unit, new supply is not viable and will
not be provided by the market. In areas of high demand and high value, housing
delivery may be viable, but is not affordable. This is applicable to parts of our largest
cities and to Dublin in particular.
This ‘viability gap’ is most acute in relation to apartment development in all but the
highest value locations in our major cities. Moreover, it is also applicable to market-
provided ‘scheme’ housing in many towns, especially those beyond the commuter
belts of our cities and largest towns.
This has resulted in 25% of Ireland’s total housing supply comprising individual one-
off rural houses in recent decades, the extent of which has ultimately had an impact
on the sustainability of rural towns and on commuting patterns.
It is necessary to address these ‘gaps’ between the cost of delivery of both urban
apartment development and scheme housing development in rural towns, vis-à-vis
the alternatives in each case, which are urban generated commuter sprawl and
unsustainable one-off rural housing, to achieve national policy objectives of compact
growth and sustainable development. Policy in this area is important in underpinning
the highlighted objective in the Programme for Government to support the
regeneration of villages and towns.
While housing construction costs are broadly similar throughout Ireland, there is a
very significant disparity between the cost of apartments and houses, and between
locations, in terms of land cost. Seeking to narrow the ‘viability’ gap will therefore
require measures that target both building and land cost. New planning guidelines
on apartment standards and building heights have resulted in some improvements in
this regard.
18Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government
The Department will build on various reports by this Department and other agencies
regarding construction viability and will seek to use the levers available to
Government to address these issues. The objective is to encourage a greater
number of housing units of all kinds to be built, with a greater proportion of both
affordable and social homes, on sites that are within and adjoining cities and towns
and other locations where services can be provided.
It is also a priority for the Department to ensure that public lands are used to develop
housing. The Land Development Agency (LDA) is a key actor in this regard. The
LDA is mandated with ensuring the optimal usage of State lands, coordinating their
regeneration and development and opening up key sites, especially for delivery of
new homes.
The LDA also aims to drive strategic land assembly through mechanisms that bring
together both public and private sector interests in ensuring the timely preparation
and release of strategic land for development in a counter-cyclical manner,
stabilising tendencies towards volatility in development land values, securing more of
the increase in such values as a result of the planning and infrastructure investment
processes for the common good and thereby driving increased affordability through
better and more cost-competitive land availability.
The LDA was established on an interim basis in September 2018, under secondary
legislation, pending the enactment of its primary legislation through the LDA Bill.
The preparation of an updated General Scheme of a Bill is underway to have the
LDA fully underpinned by legislation in the immediate future. The updated General
Scheme will reflect the evolution of the General Scheme in the light of legal advice
and consideration of the issues raised at Pre-legislative scrutiny and the mandate of
the LDA as set out in the Programme for Government.
2.9 Defects & Building Control Reform
Building defects, in general, are matters for resolution between the contracting
parties involved, that is the homeowner, the builder, the developer and/or their
respective insurers, structural guarantee or warranty scheme. The State has no
general statutory role in resolving defects in privately owned buildings, including
dwellings, nor does it have a budget for such matters. It is not possible for the State
to take on responsibility/liability for all legacy issues nor would it send the right
message to the industry regarding their responsibility for compliance.
However, a number of schemes have been established to address the significant
damage caused to homes by defective products such as pyrite in hardcore and
defective concrete blocks.
19Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government
The Pyrite Resolution Act 2013, provides the statutory framework for the
establishment of the Pyrite Resolution Board and for the making of a pyrite
remediation scheme to be implemented by the Board with support from the
Housing Agency. The pyrite remediation scheme was first adopted in February
2014.
Regulations under the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1979, were made
in January 2020, with the consent of the Minister for Public Expenditure and
Reform, to provide for a grant scheme of financial assistance to support affected
homeowners in the counties of Donegal and Mayo to carry out the necessary
remediation works to dwellings that have been damaged due to defective
concrete blocks. The grant scheme is administered by the relevant local
authorities and will go live in the coming weeks.
Budget 2020 provides funding of €40 million to fund the operation of the pyrite
remediation scheme and the defective concrete blocks grant scheme to ensure that
the people affected can remain living in their homes.
Also of note is the Framework for Enhancing Fire Safety in Dwellings which was
published in August 2017, which is intended to be used as a guide by the owners
and occupants of dwellings (houses and apartments) where fire safety deficiencies
have been identified, or are a cause for concern.
It is important to deliver quality and durable new housing solutions that meet the
needs and expectations of consumers in a manner that is sustainable economically,
socially and environmentally. The building control reform agenda already well
underway provides a comprehensive roadmap for embedding an enhanced culture
of compliance and accountability within the construction industry and for
strengthening the building control framework in Ireland. The reform agenda includes
amendments made to the Building Control Regulations; the National Building Control
Management Project; and new legislation to place the Construction Industry Register
Ireland, or CIRI, on a statutory footing. The scheme provides that any builder
carrying out building works under the Building Control Act will be required to be
registered on the Construction Industry Register Ireland. It is planned to publish the
Bill for CIRI in Autumn 2020.
2.10 Vacancy and Efficient Use of Stock
A comprehensive range of measures and actions have been put in place over recent
years aimed at avoiding or limiting high levels of vacant land or housing, ensuring
the efficient use of housing stock, as well as re-purposing vacant commercial spaces
into residential use.
20Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government
The Department continues to progress the actions identified under the National
Vacant Housing Reuse Strategy which acts as an overarching roadmap for co-
ordination and implementation of a range of initiatives to ensure that the existing
housing stock is utilised to the fullest extent by returning as many vacant properties
back to viable use as possible.
Critical to tackling vacancy are the Repair & Lease and Buy & Renew schemes.
These will continue to be reviewed and amended as required to increase their
effectiveness. In addition, the Department continues to support the Housing
Agencies Vacant Housing Acquisitions Fund.
The Department aims to accelerate housing delivery from vacant lands through
stepping up the implementation of the vacant and derelict site levies. The use of
CPO powers successfully by some local authorities to address vacancy will also be
examined further to see how best they can be used by local authorities to address
vacancy. The Department continues to work with other relevant Departments, such
as the Department of Finance, to explore what other levers can be used to address
vacancy in both residential and land respects.
The Department, in conjunction with the County and City Managers Association, will
continue to develop a new Planned Maintenance and Management Programme in
respect of local authority housing stock which will reduce vacancy in social housing
stock, as well as improving the social housing stock overall.
2.11 Climate change
The State’s Climate Action Commitments will be a consideration for all elements of
housing policy moving forward. The Department has responsibility for Climate Action
measures in the areas of Building Regulations, social housing retrofit and the
National Planning Framework.
The Department has responsibility for setting energy performance standards for new
homes and those undergoing major renovation through Part L of the building
regulations. The Energy Performance of Buildings Directive sets ambitious goals for
energy efficiency and renewables in buildings by requiring Nearly Zero Energy
Buildings or “NZEB” performance for new buildings from 31 December 2020.
In addition, the Directive also requires that Major Renovations to existing buildings
are completed to a cost optimal level, where it is feasible. The Directive requires the
installation of electric vehicle charging infrastructure in certain new buildings, those
undergoing major renovation and existing buildings. This is a key programme
deliverable for September 2020 and implementation of NZEB is a key action for the
built environment in contributing to Ireland’s Climate Action Commitments.
21Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government
In relation to social housing, the Department has a significant work programme in
terms of retrofitting. The Department is currently funding local authorities in their
undertaking of an ambitious programme of insulation retrofitting of the least energy
efficient social homes. In addition, the Department is working with the Department of
Communications, Climate Action and Energy, Midlands local authorities and SEAI to
develop a pilot retrofitting scheme which will allow social housing to be aggregated
with private housing. This is a key measure to inform the target of retrofitting 500,000
dwellings by 2030.
The National Planning Framework objective of compact growth through higher
densities will also minimise transport demand and reduce energy demand and use.
The Department is conscious of the need to address pressing challenges to ensure
the housing stock is future proofed and will also work to ensure that all of our policy
is climate conscious and works in harmony with the overall goals in the Programme
for Government in this regard.
2.12 Project Ireland 2040
2.12.1 Implementing the National Planning Framework and
hierarchy of plans
The National Planning Framework (NPF) sits at the top of a hierarchy of statutory
plans, the purpose of which is to ensure the sustainable development of urban and
rural areas, secure balanced regional development and to support and co-ordinate
proper planning and development throughout Ireland.
The hierarchy of plans cascades from the NPF, to the three Regional Assembly
Regional Spatial and Economic Strategies and the thirty-one city and county
development plans.
22Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government
The current National Planning Framework was approved by Government in 2018, as
the spatial element of Project Ireland 2040, the other principal element of which is
the current National Development Plan (NDP), which sets out a €116bn public
capital investment envelope in support of the NPF, to 2027.
Further to this, Regional Spatial and Economic Strategies were drawn up by the
three Regional Assemblies (Eastern & Midland, Southern, North & Western), all of
which were adopted by January 2020.
All city and county development plans must now be reviewed or varied, to ensure
consistency with both the NPF and the relevant regional strategies. This process is
underway and will continue into 2021, overseen by the recently established
independent Office of the Planning Regulator. When complete, it will be the first time
that there has been an integrated hierarchy of statutory spatial plans, supported by
the national public capital investment programme, governing the future pattern and
form of development in Ireland.
23Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government
2.12.2 The National Planning Framework
The National Planning Framework (NPF) is Ireland’s long-term national planning
strategy to accommodate projected future population and economic growth over a
20-year period to 2040.
This includes an increased population of around one million additional people by
2040, with a requirement for at least 550,000 new homes and 660,000 more jobs
over that timescale. The NPF is the spatial framework to target effective delivery of
this scale of development, the key elements of which are summarised as:
Regional Development: Growing Ireland’s Three Regions. Since the 1960’s,
Dublin and the adjoining counties (Eastern and Midland Regional Assembly
area) have experienced significant growth in population, homes and jobs with
proportionately less growth evident in other regions (Southern Regional
Assembly and Northern and Western Regional Assembly areas). This has
resulted in the ‘primacy’ in Dublin and the east, which has given rise to capacity
constraints, particularly in terms of housing and infrastructure. More balanced
growth between the three regions will enable the potential of Ireland’s other
regions to be developed, but will not happen with a ‘business as usual’
approach. Accordingly, the NPF targets at least a ‘50:50’ distribution of growth
between the Eastern and Midland Regional Assembly area, and the other two
areas combined, which would divert from the pattern evident since the 1960’s.
The NPF strategy targets 75% of future growth to be outside of Dublin and its
suburbs. This approach is critically underpinned by a strategy to develop a
limited number of accessible centres of scale, focused on all five cities and five
smaller regionally distributed centres (Athlone, Drogheda, Dundalk, Letterkenny
and Sligo).
Supporting Dublin: Ireland’s Capital. Supporting the future growth and
success of Dublin as Ireland’s leading global city of scale, by better managing
Dublin’s growth through accommodating it within and closer to the city. Enabling
significant population and jobs expansion within the Dublin metropolitan area,
together with better management of the trend towards overspill into the
surrounding counties. Addressing infrastructural bottlenecks, improving citizen’s
quality of life and increasing affordable housing supply, but in the right locations.
Creating Regional Cities of Scale: Cork, Limerick, Galway and Waterford.
Targeting the ambitious growth of Cork, Limerick, Galway and Waterford, in each
case to increase by at least 50% to 2040, to realise their significant potential to
become regional drivers of scale.
24Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government
Support their leadership in partnership with each other and as partners in
regional/inter-regional networks as viable alternatives to Dublin, with an
enhanced collective ‘offer’ within each of the four cities, i.e. infrastructure, quality
of life and choice in terms of housing, employment and amenities, with a
stronger urban structure that can address relative economic underperformance.
Supporting Rural Growth: Reversing town/village and rural population decline,
by encouraging new roles and functions for buildings, streets and sites.
Managing housing need arising in rural areas. Improving local connectivity to
principal communication (broadband), energy, transport and water networks.
Promoting new economic opportunities arising from digital connectivity and
indigenous innovation and enterprise as well as more traditional natural and
resource assets (e.g. food, energy, tourism), underpinned by the quality of life
offering.
Securing Compact and Sustainable Forms of Growth: Tackling, costly
inefficient and carbon dependent patterns of urban sprawl by favouring more
compact forms of development and focusing on reusing previously developed,
‘brownfield’ land, building up infill sites, which may not have been built on before
and redeveloping existing sites and buildings. Consolidating the footprint of
existing settlements with new development to provide new life and footfall,
contribute to the viability of services, shops and public transport, increase
housing supply and enable more people to be closer to employment and
recreational opportunities, as well as to walk or cycle more and use the car less.
25Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government
2.12.3 The NPF and the National Development Plan (NDP)
The alignment of the NPF as a spatial strategy, with the supporting public capital
investment programme set out in the National Development Plan (NDP), is a unique
and unprecedented element of Project Ireland 2040, that has attracted positive
international interest and recognition. This is focused on ten shared, National
Strategic Outcomes (NSOs), common to both the NPF and the NDP, as follows: -
1. Compact Growth
2. Enhanced Regional Accessibility
3. Strengthened Rural Economies and Communities
4. Sustainable Mobility
5. A Strong Economy, supported by Enterprise, Innovation and Skills
6. High-Quality International Connectivity
7. Enhanced Amenities and Heritage
8. Transition to a Low Carbon and Climate Resilient Society
9. Sustainable Management of Water, Waste and other Environmental Resources
10. Access to Quality Childcare, Education and Health Services
2.12.4 NPF and NDP Implementation
In order to co-ordinate and drive implementation of the NPF in tandem with the NDP,
governance arrangements were put in place in the form of the Project Ireland 2040
Delivery Board, which includes high-level representation from across Government. It
is co-chaired by the Secretaries General of this Department and the Department of
Public Expenditure and Reform (DPER) and has met regularly since 2018.
The Delivery Board is directly supported by a Projects and Programme Management
Office based in DPER and the National and Regional Planning Policy section in
DHPLG, in particular.
Implementation support measures led by DPER to date, include a significantly
revised and updated public spending code, improvements in capital management
such as an enhanced capital projects tracker, and engagement with and analysis of
the construction sector.
This Department’s implementation support role is focused on spatial, place-making
aspects, including delivery of the three Regional Strategies referred to above and the
€2bn Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF) - the applications for the
second call of the URDF are now with the Department and these will be assessed
over the coming months.
26Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government
In addition, the Department is focused on bringing forward institutional, regulatory
and fiscal/funding measures required to deliver compact and regional growth
objectives set out in the NPF. To date, these include the proposed establishment of
City Delivery Boards to co-ordinate and drive development in each of the five cities,
the actioning of which was delayed during the Covid-19 lockdown.
As with all public spending departments and agencies across Government, there is a
wider Department role in the implementation of the NPF and NDP, through the
significant capital investment programmes for which the Department is responsible in
the areas of housing, water and local government expenditure. For example, social
housing alone (€11.6bn) comprises 10% of the total €116bn capital envelope
identified in the current NDP to 2027.
2.12.5 The NPF and Review of the NDP
While all ten shared National Strategic Objectives (NSOs) set out above remain
applicable to both the NPF and NDP, preparatory work on a review of the quantum
and share of capital investment allocation to each is underway, in light of changing
priorities arising from a new programme for government and the need to stimulate
recovery from the impact of Covid-19.
Current indications are that the likely timescale for completion of a review of the NDP
is constrained, in order to ensure finalisation by September 2020, in the context of
Budget 2021.
However, there is currently no commensurate requirement or practical need to
review the National Planning Framework (NPF), with analysis of investment
alignment with the current NPF, one of the key workstreams identified to be
undertaken as part of the NDP review process.
27Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government
2.13 Planning Policy and efficiency of the planning system
The Department has a key role in ensuring that the appropriate strategic policy and
legislative terrestrial and marine planning frameworks are in place to promote
sustainable economic growth and balanced regional development, including through
maintaining transparent and robust terrestrial and marine planning systems,
providing appropriate policy guidance and resources to planning authorities and An
Bord Pleanála to deliver their statutory functions and requirements and new
functions relating to the Office of the Planning Regulator.
From a legislative perspective work is underway on four key pieces of legislation: -
Marine Planning and Development Management Bill
Land Development Bill
Planning Bill to deal with Judicial Review Reform
Planning Bill to deal with “use it or lose it” concept.
Significant work was advanced, at a legislative and guidance level during the Covid
19 lockdown to protect the integrity of the planning system, and we continue to work
on contingency measures which may be required in the future, and also to
progressing the greater availability of planning services on line.
In tandem, with a focus on implementation of existing legislation (e.g. vacant site
levy, enforcement of short-term letting), we currently have a programme of work
underway on guidance to local authorities and exempted development regulations.
We work with a range of Departments to reflect Government policy in planning
regulations as required. Work has been initiated with OPW, for example, on scoping
issues around a coastal change strategy.
28Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government
Examples of some of the current work programme is set out below: -
Planning System guidelines Regulations
Development Plan Guidelines Transposition of EIA Directive for
foreshore
Wind Energy Guidelines
Exempted development regulations –
Housing Strategies e.g. solar panels, low emission
Sustainable settlement (urban vehicle charging points, underground
compact growth and rural housing cabling of electricity transmission
dimensions) lines, eplanning, Brexit ports related.
Strategic Environmental Assessment
Planning and Water Framework
Directive
Mobile phone and broadband related
development works
General Marine Development
Management
Offshore wind energy
Operationally, the Department is responsible for consents to development on the
foreshore, issuing licences and leases, deals with a volume of judicial review cases
and some transboundary planning issues.
2.14 National Marine Planning Framework
Under the EU Marine Spatial Planning Directive, all Member States must have a
marine spatial plan in place by 2021. Provisions were made in the Planning and
Development Acts for the adoption of the national marine planning framework under
similar arrangements to those applying to the NPF. Consultation is completed on the
draft National Marine Spatial Plan, and submissions are now being analysed with a
view to its finalisation and adoption by the Houses of the Oireachtas by the end of
2020.
Ireland’s first Maritime Spatial plan – the NMPF - covers the State’s maritime area
which at 490,000 km² is six times the size of its landmass, and is the marine parallel
to the National Planning Framework.
29Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government
It will inform decisions about the current and future development of the maritime
area, aiming to integrate various sectoral needs within the three overarching pillars
of forward plans (economic, environmental and social).
2.15 The Water Sector – Strategic Goals
The Department’s overall Water Strategic Goal is to “provide a framework for the
sustainable management of water resources from source to sea”. In effect, the work
of the Division revolves around two related themes: protecting and enhancing the
quality of Ireland’s water in the environment, including the marine environment, and
ensuring the delivery of modern, robust and resilient drinking water and waste-water
infrastructure to service the needs of the community. Several EU Directives
significantly govern both of these related aspects.
The overarching objective of water policy is to ensure a high level of protection of
human health and the environment through:
protecting and enhancing the quality of natural waters (both terrestrial and
marine) and the associated ecosystems;
providing clean and wholesome drinking water; and
preventing pollution from waste water.
The main challenges are to address existing infrastructural deficits; accommodate
growth, in particular provide services for housing development; adapt to climate
change; and prevent and lessen the impacts from the loss of nutrients from
agriculture, forestry and waste water (including storm water overflows, urban run-off,
emerging pollutants and septic tanks) on the water and marine environment. Key
areas of work in the water area are set out in the following paragraphs:
2.16 Transformation of Irish Water as a single publicly-owned utility
Irish Water largely operates through local authorities under a system of Service
Level Agreements (SLAs). While the Agreements have worked effectively to get the
utility up and running, the limitations of this way of working is now beginning to
impact on service delivery and is increasing the risks of service failure. Risks are
being introduced in the delivery of assured water and waste water supplies as a
result of the disconnect between Irish Water’s legal responsibility for water services
and actual delivery on the ground by local authorities. A process is now underway to
bring the SLA arrangements to an end in 2021 (they were originally put in place until
2025).
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