National Planning Framework
National Planning Framework: First Revision
The national planning strategy to 2040, as revised in April 2025: where growth goes, and the national policy objectives regional and local plans must be consistent with.
Government of Ireland · April 2025 · 195 pages
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- National Planning Framework First Revision | Page 89 Location of Homes Future homes are required to be located where people have the best opportunities to access a high standard quality of life. In Ireland, the location of housing has taken on a dispersed and fragmented character, which has led to people living further away from their jobs and often being at a sizeable remove from important services such as education and healthcare. Development sprawl at every settlement level in Ireland has manifested as scattered development, ‘leapfrogging’, continuous suburbs and linear patterns of strip or ribbon development. This type of development has made it costly and often unfeasible for the State to align and invest in infrastructure delivery where it cannot be justified. It has also hampered effective responses to climate change, compounded issues such as congestion and pollution, increased commuting times and has had an overall negative impact on people’s health and wellbeing. National Policy Objective 43 Prioritise the provision of new homes at locations that can support sustainable development and at an appropriate scale of provision relative to location. Ireland’s future homes will: be located in places that can support sustainable development - places which support compact growth, innovation and the efficient provision of infrastructure, are accessible to a range of local services and can encourage the use of public transport, walking and cycling, and support the transition to a lower carbon society; be delivered in our cities and larger towns (where large scale housing demand exists), where homes and the appropriate supporting services can be delivered more efficiently and effectively at less cost to the State in the long-run, and still be located in our smaller towns, villages and rural areas, including the countryside, but at an appropriate scale that does not detract from the capacity of our larger towns and cities to deliver homes more sustainably. To promote the increased supply of housing in a planned and sustainable manner and to encourage the regeneration of vacant and idle lands in urban locations, the Residential Zoned Land Tax was introduced in the Finance Act 2021, as a new tax aimed at activating zoned and serviced residential development land. The tax measure applies to lands, which are zoned within statutory land use plans as being appropriate locations for housing and that have benefitted from investment in the key infrastructural services needed to support housing delivery. The lands in scope for the tax are identified by local authorities on annually published maps. Liability to the tax, the management and enforcement of which will be undertaken by the Revenue Commissioners, is due to commence in February 2025. The mapping process also facilitates the monitoring of land from the point of zoning to development, and the identification of lands that require investment in infrastructure to enable housing development. Building Resilience in Housing Building stock that is in a state of vacancy and dereliction has the potential to offer transformative options for housing and as part of the original fabric of some settlements can serve to further preserve the heritage and cultural identity of a place. Reuse of existing building stock must be accounted for and considered as part of any evidence basis for housing policy formation and at a local level, this will form part of development plan core strategies. While the adaptive reuse of existing stock can present significant challenges, particularly in relation to capital costs and specific technical considerations, the longer term benefits of reuse is evident from a social, cultural and embodied carbon perspective. From a housing provision perspective, there are also wider advantages in terms of potential additional delivery, consolidation of existing vacant stock and wider urban regeneration benefits. Any new home will have to accommodate changing needs over its lifetime. A liveable and adaptable housing development or house is one that is able to respond effectively to these needs without requiring costly and energy intensive alterations. Our population is changing rapidly, with average households becoming both smaller in size and older as an increasing number of people live independently in their later years. The balance between home and work life also places altering demands on our houses as an increase in remote and hybrid working since the COVID-19 pandemic allows more people to work from home.
- National Policy Objective 44 Support the provision of lifetime adaptable homes that can accommodate the changing needs of a household over time. Historically, low-density housing development has been a feature of Ireland’s housing landscape in cities, towns, villages and the countryside. To avoid urban sprawl and the pressure that it puts on both the environment and infrastructure demands, compact housing and increased residential densities are required in our urban areas. Well designed and located high and medium density housing will assist: Fast-growing urban areas to achieve much needed scale; Medium-sized urban areas to find a route to quality in a new competitive framework; All urban areas to increase vibrancy and vitality; Increased efficiency and sustainability in the use of energy and public infrastructure (including prioritisation of development in areas with existing/planned water and wastewater infrastructure capacity). The infill/brownfield targets set out in NPOs 7, 8 and 9 of this Framework will necessitate a significant and sustained increase in urban housing output including apartment development and medium density housing in appropriate locations, if we are to avoid a continuation of the outward expansion of cities and larger urban areas. While apartments made up 13% of all occupied households in Ireland and 38% of occupied households in the Dublin City Council area in 2022 (Census data), we are a long way behind European averages in terms of the numbers and proportion of households living in apartments, especially in our cities and larger towns. In many European countries, it is normal to see 40%-60% of households living in apartments. To more effectively address the challenge of meeting the housing needs of a growing and more diverse population in our key urban areas, it is clear that we need to build inwards and upwards, rather than outwards. This means that apartments and compact housing models will need to become more prevalent, particularly in Ireland’s cities. This is underpinned by on-going population growth, a long-term move towards smaller average household size, an ageing and more diverse population, greater mobility in the labour market and a higher proportion of households in the rented sector. The Sustainable Residential Development and Compact Settlements Guidelines issued as Ministerial Guidelines in January 2024 demonstrate how higher densities and more compact and sustainable settlement patterns can be achieved through the interaction of residential density, flexible housing standards and quality design and placemaking. Page 90 | National Planning Framework First Revision
- National Planning Framework First Revision | Page 91 Riverside Cottages, Templeogue, Infill scheme Social Housing Development Architects - South Dublin County Council Architect’s Department National Policy Objective 45 Increase residential density in settlements, through a range of measures including reductions in vacancy, re-use of existing buildings, infill development schemes, area or site-based regeneration, increased building height and more compact forms of development. Housing Demand Between now and 2040, an average output of approximately 50,000 new homes will need to be provided in Ireland every year to meet people’s needs for well-located and affordable housing, with increasing demand to cater for one- and two-person households. Within this figure, there is a wide range of differing housing needs that will be required to be met, recognising that not every home will be delivered on a greenfield site. To meet projected population and economic growth as well as increased household formation, annual housing output will need to increase to approximately 50,000 homes per annum in the years to 2040 and will be subject to monitoring and review. A key element of understanding and responding to housing demand is high quality data on planning and development activity, housing delivery and land. In all of these areas a standardised approach among local authorities will ensure data is useable and actionable for policy development and forecasting. Social and Affordable Housing The provision by Government of housing supports for those unable to provide for accommodation from within their own resources is a key social policy and it affects a significant proportion of the population. Actions taken by public bodies in relation to social housing can have a considerable impact on the overall housing market and, equally, fiscal or regulatory measures in relation to the housing market can have an effect on the availability of social housing. The preparation by local authorities of Housing Delivery Action Plans since 2022 is assisting in the identification of the quantum of homes required to be constructed and the land available for such construction. Case Study
- Page 92 | National Planning Framework First Revision 17 – 20 Merchants Road Lower, Galway City This is an example of regenerative City Centre consolidation and infill on a very constrained brownfield site. A five storey mixed development is proposed, comprising a cultural centre and cafe on the lower floor with 11 social dwellings in a mix of one and two bed units above, at a scale more consistent with this prominent city centre location and adjoining properties, to replace the existing four two-storey houses, which are vacant. Architects:- Hall and McKnight Case Study
- National Planning Framework First Revision | Page 93 Curragower Corner, Limerick Curragower Corner, an infill, affordable apartment scheme in Clancy Strand, Limerick City. 1 community facility unit fronting public space with 7 residential units above. Exploring the potential for Light Gauge Steel construction, or a hybrid with CLT construction, with a presumed off-site manufacturing approach, the project aims to be marketed to developers post-planning without a predefined building system. This allows flexibility for developers to decide and detail the design, leveraging their expertise within Modern Methods of Construction (MMC). Architects:- Limerick City and County Council in collaboration with the Housing Agency Case Study
- Page 94 | National Planning Framework First Revision Adding more properties to areas that are already dense with social housing, or to areas that are unable to support further population, can create serious problems within communities. Diverse neighbourhoods with a balance of public and private housing can create more sustainable and healthy communities. The Affordable Housing Act 2021 provided the legislative arrangements for affordable housing, introduced a new form of rental tenure through ‘cost rental’ and expanded Part V requirements to increase the percentage contribution from 10% to 20% and applied this to affordable in addition to social housing. Since the publication of Housing for All, a range of funding schemes have been developed to support the delivery of affordable housing, including the affordable purchase shared-equity First Home scheme for newbuild homes in private developments, a new Local Authority-led Affordable Purchase Scheme and a newly expanded Local Authority Home Loan Scheme. The Land Development Agency (LDA) has taken a leading role in the delivery of affordable housing on public land alongside new initiatives, such as Project Tosaigh. Funding is being provided to ensure that local authorities can provide homeless prevention services, emergency accommodation and other services to ensure people can exit homelessness to tenancies as quickly as possible. The Housing First National Implementation Plan for 2022-2026, published in November 2021, provides for an additional 1,319 supported Housing First tenancies over this period for people who have complex additional needs. Vacancy Maximising the use of our existing housing stock, especially in our towns and cities, is a critical element of a sustainable housing policy. Aligned with the implementation of the Town Centre First Policy Approach for Irish Towns, the Vacant Homes Action Plan was published in 2023 to consolidate strands of work to address residential vacancy. A range of fiscal measures have been introduced to support the objectives of the Plan, including the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant Scheme and a Vacant Homes Tax which came into effect in 2023. The activation of vacant properties is the central objective of Call 3 of the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund, involving a new €150 million revolving fund for vacancy-related projects being undertaken by local authorities. Homelessness Increasing housing supply remains the principal solution to resolving homelessness. Housing for All provides four pathways to achieving four overarching objectives one of which is Eradicating Homelessness, Increasing Social Housing Delivery and Supporting Social Inclusion. Each of the pathways contains a comprehensive suite of actions to achieve these Housing Policy Objectives. Changing Family Size Currently, almost 50% of people in the State live in households of three people or fewer, with an average household size of 2.74 people. Household sizes in urban areas tend to be smaller than in the suburbs or rural parts of the country. In Dublin city, almost 60% of people live in one, two and three person households. Yet, the stock of housing in Ireland is largely comprised of detached and semidetached houses with three to four bedrooms. Students Demand for student accommodation exacerbates the demand pressures on the available supply of rental accommodation in urban areas in particular. In the years ahead, student accommodation pressures are anticipated to increase. The location of purpose- built student accommodation needs to be as proximate as possible to the centre of education, as well as being connected to accessible infrastructure such as walking, cycling and public transport. Student accommodation also contributes to the financial, cultural and social fabric of regions, cities and towns. The adaptive reuse of existing buildings and brownfield sites for student accommodation can assist with the reduction of vacancy and dereliction, thereby promoting vitality and vibrancy in settlements, in support of Town Centre First principles. The National Student Accommodation Strategy supports these objectives. Reconciling Future Housing Requirements Effectively Since 2018, enhanced methodologies and statutory guidelines have been put in place to reconcile future housing requirements effectively, taking into consideration the varying housing needs that are required to be met, including the housing needs of older people, people with disabilities, the travelling community, social and affordable housing, families of varying sizes and income levels and students. Managing the future location, typology and tenure of housing requires a robust evidence base and approach to implementation. Increasingly there is more and better housing data at national, regional, county and settlement level to assist policy makers in understanding housing conditions and the housing needs of people in Ireland, in order to develop informed, cost-effective, policies, programmes and funding initiatives.
- National Planning Framework First Revision | Page 95 National Policy Objective 46 Continue to develop methodologies and data sources to improve the evidence base, effectiveness and consistency of the planning process for housing provision at regional, metropolitan and local authority levels. This will include standardised requirements for the recording of planning and housing data by the local authorities in order to provide a consistent and robust evidence base for housing policy formulation. Housing Need Demand Assessment In order to ensure that the plan-making system continues to be supported by robust methodology and data to inform policies and funding initiatives around housing and associated land requirements, Housing Need Demand Assessments (HNDAs) developed by each Local Authority will be updated to align with updated data sources, in order to support the preparation of housing strategies and all related housing policy outputs, e.g. city and county development plans, local area plans, traveller accommodation plans etc. The purpose of the Housing Need Demand Assessment tool is to: Assist local authorities to develop long- term strategic views of housing need across all tenures. Provide a robust evidence base to support decisions about new housing supply, wider investment and housing related services that inform an overall national housing profile. Inform policies about the proportion of social and affordable housing required, including the need for different types and sizes of provision. Provide evidence to inform policies related to the provision of specialist housing and housing related services. The HNDA is a centralised spatial database, which allows local authorities to run a number of different scenarios to inform key decisions on housing need and supply. Local Authority HNDAs are designed to give broad, long run estimates of what future housing need might be, rather than precise estimates. The HNDA centralised spatial database is supported by a coordination and monitoring unit within DHLGH and will be updated to align with the updated ESRI Regional Demographic and Structural Housing Demand research which will be was published in 2024. There are a number of key evidence inputs which inform and drive the HNDA model, as follows: 1 Demographic trends, affordability trends and wider economic trends. The use of economic forecasting or econometric work underpins this section. Data requirements include household composition/projections, house prices, rents, number of first time buyers (FTBs) and loan to value (LTV) mortgage rates, economic activity and employment rates etc. 2 2040 Housing Stock Profile Pressures (and existing need) and management issues. Undertaking a detailed profile of local housing stock and stock pressures, including local authority housing, to identify the main pressures relating to supply and demand, ineffective stock and overall condition as well as priorities for future stock management. Information is required on dwelling size, dwelling type, dwelling condition and stock pressures (occupancy/under occupancy stock turnover etc.). 3 Estimating Future Housing Need and Demand. This is broken down into: owner occupation, private sector, below market rent and social rent. Detailed guidance is provided on how to undertake this work, including how and on what evidence to base assumptions on wealth affordability, both in terms of home ownership and the different rental categories. National Policy Objective 47 A ‘Housing Need Demand Assessments’ (HNDAs) undertaken for each Local Authority Area in order to correlate and accurately align future housing requirements: • to be undertaken by Local Authorities with coordination assistance to be provided by the Regional Assemblies, and also at a Metropolitan scale, particularly where inter-county and inter-regional settlement interactions are to be planned for and managed; and • to primarily inform housing policies, housing strategies and associated land use zoning policies as well as assisting in determining where new policy areas or investment programmes are to be developed.
- Realising our Island and Marine Potential7 Ireland’s economy, culture and society have strong links to the sea. Our marine environment is a national asset that yields a wide range of commercial and societal benefits Page 96 | National Planning Framework First Revision
- 7.1 Integrated Land and Maritime Planning Ireland’s economy, culture and society have strong links to the sea. Our marine environment is a national asset that yields a wide range of commercial and societal benefits through activities such as commercial fishing, transport, tourism, recreation, renewable energy, wastewater discharges and cultural heritage, as well as playing a vital role in supporting marine life and biodiversity more generally. Sustainable utilisation of Ireland’s marine resources, will be influenced to a significant degree by how successfully we can align long-term spatial planning for our terrestrial and marine areas through the National Planning Framework and Ireland’s National Marine Spatial Plan - the National Marine Planning Framework (NMPF). Published in 2021, the NMPF is the overarching strategic plan for the entire maritime area, comprising some 490,000 km2. However, as the capabilities of the Maritime Area Planning (MAP) Act are deployed, including Marine Planning Policy Statements and Designated Maritime Area Plans (planning frameworks that can be undertaken for particular uses, sectors or defined spatial areas and specific guidance), marine planning policy will reflect the sophistication needed to balance the range of uses, activities and environment in the marine area. The marine environment is also the most significant receiving waterbody for wastewater discharges. There are many shared aims and overlapping areas of co-ordination and activity between terrestrial and maritime area planning, including the development of renewable energy and associated green industrial development, the provision of water services, supporting the improvement of our port infrastructure, tourism and environmental coordination. Continued successful implementation will require working with neighbouring administrations, such the United Kingdom and our EU partners, regarding transboundary and shared sea basin issues to ensure a consistent and effective policy and regulatory approach to marine and terrestrial planning. Such an approach is essential to harnessing the potential of our oceans and seas to support local communities, sustainably manage our marine resources and provide long-term investment predictability for development and activities in our maritime area, particularly developing our inherent potential for offshore renewable development in an integrated and sustainable manner. Complex relationships between land and maritime activity require coordination of many different sectors and actors. Some sectors and activities, such as renewable energy, can have a presence both on land and in the maritime area and require facilities and infrastructure which traverse both areas. The planning system plays an important role in permitting the infrastructure necessary to capture, store and transmit such energy to consumers, and in doing so, enable Ireland to utilise its vast and sustainable offshore wind and other energy resources. Offshore renewable energy production can also offer the potential to attract new green industries with high-energy needs to those locations. In July 2023, the Maritime Area Regulatory Authority (MARA) was formally established under the provisions of the Maritime Area Planning Act 2021 to assist with the sustainable management of Ireland’s diverse maritime area. The Authority’s functions include administering the maritime area consents process, marine licensing for scheduled activities, administration of the extant foreshore consent portfolio, and promoting co-operation between maritime regulators. Continued successful implementation will require working with neighbouring administrations, such the United Kingdom and our EU partners, regarding transboundary and shared sea basin issues to ensure a consistent and effective policy and regulatory approach to marine and terrestrial planning. National Planning Framework First Revision | Page 97
- Common Aims National Planning Framework and National Marine Planning Framework. Spatial expression of national policy; national guidance and priorities. Strategic decision making and coherent development consent framework. Sustainable, forward looking, long term use and management of areas. Co-ordination of Departments and Sectoral issues in a plan-led manner. Consistency between maritime and terrestrial planning in areas of common interest. Coherent transboundary planning. Areas of Overlap for Co-ordination Sectoral Community Development and Public Consultation Economic Development Transport – Ports and Harbours Energy – Electricity and Renewable Energy Fishing Aquaculture and Mariculture Social and Culture Tourism and Leisure Flood Protection Extraction Enabling Infrastructure Health and Safety Communications Environment Sustainable Use of Resources Climate Change Adaptation Water Quality Coastal Erosion and Accretion Protected Sites and Environmentally Sensitive Areas Flooding Biodiversity Landscape and Seascape Governance, Regulation & Licensing Consent process for onshore and offshore development and activities Responsibilities for managing activities in areas of land-sea interaction Data Research including spatial data management Cumulative effects Evidence base Socio-economic profiles Figure 7.1 | Common Aims and Areas of Overlap of Terrestrial and Maritime Planning TERRESTRIAL PLANNING MARITIME PLANNING Page 98 | National Planning Framework First Revision
Source Government of Ireland: National Planning Framework: First Revision (April 2025) · Licence the publisher's termsText read from the publisher’s PDF; tables, maps and drawings do not survive as text, and page numbers are the PDF’s (its first page is 1). Check the original before relying on a passage.