Government introduces Planning and Development Amendment Bill 2026 to speed up transition to 2024 Act

The Government has introduced the Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2026 to the Dáil to support the smooth commencement of the remaining provisions of the Planning and Development Act 2024.

Moving the Second Stage of the Bill, Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy John Cummins, stated that the legislation aims to facilitate the transition to the 2024 Act, with the remaining provisions on track to be commenced by the end of this year.

Local Development Plans

The Bill amends Part 3 of the 2024 Act to speed up the move to new plan-making. It introduces a deadline of 31 December 2027 for the completion of the review of the three regional spatial and economic strategies.

Additionally, the Bill allows planning authorities to amend the expiration dates of their current development plans for a defined maximum period between February and December 2030. This new expiration date will serve as a trigger for the adoption of new ten-year development plans under the 2024 Act. Planning authorities must begin the process of making these new plans between July next year and July 2028 at the latest. The Bill also clarifies that since the commencement of Part 3 of the Act at the end of 2025, all development plan reviews must be conducted under the 2024 Act only.

Judicial Review Rules Extended

To accelerate legal processes, the Bill extends the judicial review provisions established in the 2024 Act to acts done or decisions made under the older Planning and Development Act 2000. These procedural changes, originally brought into operation in August 2025, include removing the requirement to apply for leave to apply for judicial review proceedings, which is intended to reduce legal costs and timeframes.