Government approves Revised National Planning Framework
- Foilsithe: 8 Aibreán 2025
- An t-eolas is déanaí: 12 Aibreán 2025
- revised plan sets the agenda for accelerated housing delivery
- following approval by Oireachtas plan will drive actions and policies of all key stakeholders
- local authorities to translate housing requirements of revised NPF into their own local plans as speedily as possible
Today, the government has approved the Revised National Planning Framework (NPF) which, subject to the approval of both Houses of the Oireachtas, will create the conditions for accelerated housing delivery in Ireland. This follows a comprehensive NPF revision process which has been underway since June 2023.
This milestone decision firmly sets the direction for Ireland’s growth and development to 2040, creating the policy environment to release unlocked potential and to address critical priorities, in particular housing, infrastructure and climate.
The revised NPF will now directly inform the wider government policy agenda, the actions of a broad range of public and private bodies, including homebuilders, the renewable energy sector, infrastructure agencies and domestic and international investors.
Speaking today, the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, James Browne emphasised:
“Ireland has changed dramatically since the National Planning Framework was first drafted in 2018, and this revision reflects those changes – setting out a clear and strategic policy approach. We are planning for a significant increase in the capacity to deliver housing across the country to meet our population projections and associated housing requirements.
“Our growing population places greater demands on housing and infrastructure, and we need to plan for the provision of the right number of homes in the right places – including new sustainable communities at brownfield and greenfield locations along existing or planned high capacity public transport corridors. This government is committed to delivering housing and crucially, we are also focused on creating the best possible conditions for delivery. The revised NPF provides the conditions we need to have in place to accelerate homebuilding.
“Once approved by the Oireachtas, this Plan will shape necessary reviews of current regional strategies and local authority development plans to reflect today’s reality and to ensure the zoning of land for residential, employment and a range of other purposes meets our country’s needs. Having regard to the need to ensure that current local authority development plans can be updated as quickly as possible to reflect the update housing requirements, I also intend, following completion of the NPF Revision process, to provide further clear direction and guidance relating to housing requirements and I fully expect local authorities to translate this revised NPF into their own local plans as speedily as possible.
“Ireland needs a step change in the delivery of housing. With a revised NPF, and the new Planning and Development Act being implemented this year, we are making sure that the vital conditions for the accelerated delivery of new homes is provided for in the planning system.”
The Minister of State with responsibility for planning, John Cummins today added:
“The revised National Planning Framework published today marks another significant step from the government to increase capacity to deliver and accelerate home building across the country. This revised plan reflects the Ireland of today and prepares us for the Ireland of tomorrow.
“The revised NPF and the subsequent guidance that will issue, will give clarity to local authorities on translating the revised housing requirements at a national level to local plan level in order to identify the quantum of zoned land that will be required to increase our housing output.
“Regional strategies and local development plans will be reviewed and updated to ensure they align with the NPF, accurately reflecting housing need, projected jobs growth and renewable energy capacity allocations.
“Revised targets, coupled with sufficient headroom will be key considerations to ensure the appropriate quantum of zoning exists for residential, employment and a range of other purposes.
“The implementation of our new Planning and Development Act 2024 will also be closely aligned with the implementation of this revised plan, with updated regional strategies and new ten-year development plans to reflect the revised NPF.”
Drivers of revision
Since the publication of the NPF in 2018, a number of changes have occurred in Ireland, which the revised framework addresses.
A number of key drivers of change in Ireland were a significant focus for the revision process, and the final framework document sets a transformational agenda to cater for:
Population growth and the associated housing requirement
The need to plan for a population of between 6.1 to 6.3 million people by 2040, and plan for approximately 50,000 units per annum over that period, to meet additional population and employment growth over and above the original 2018 NPF projections. This reflects the latest research and modelling by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), which forecasts substantial population growth over the next decade. The Revised NPF, with the subsequent provision of updated planned housing requirements at a local authority level, aims to ensure that housing supply meets both new demand and addresses existing need, creating a sustainable future for housing in Ireland.
Infrastructure delivery
In order to ensure that the revised population projections and related housing requirements can be delivered on, service provision will also require co-ordination and prioritisation to ensure that the necessary infrastructure is in place, both to support and enable housing development to take place, and to ensure that housing delivery is aligned with the provision of services and facilities for communities. This includes the provision of education, childcare, healthcare and recreational facilities to support the expansion of existing settlements and the creation of new sustainable communities.
In addition to accounting for the ESRI’s baseline projection of 6.1m people by 2040, the NPF also includes provision for strategic planning for up to 6.3 million people by 2040 (the ESRI high migration scenario), which is required to be aligned with strategic planning for Transport Orientated Development (TOD) in and around Ireland’s five cities to support the delivery of new sustainable communities at brownfield and greenfield locations along existing or planned high capacity public transport corridors.
The implementation of the NPF will continue to align with the National Development Plan and form as one single vision for Ireland under ‘Project Ireland 2040’ to be fully supported by the government’s investment strategy for public capital investment and investment by the State sector in general.
Climate and environment
A further significant area of policy development relates to planning for climate change in the context of an accelerating climate crisis. Accordingly, the revised NPF has included new policies in relation to renewable energy development, including the identification of regional renewable electricity capacity allocations in order to facilitate the accelerated roll-out and delivery of renewable electricity infrastructure for on-shore wind and solar generation development and to support the achievement of the 2030 national targets set out in the Climate Action Plan.
The Revised NPF also acknowledges the clear link between climate action and the potential for investment generation and employment and jobs, including in connection with the offshore wind industry and green technology.
How the NPF will be translated into Regional and Local Planning Policies
The revised NPF, when approved by each House of the Oireachtas, will provide the basis for the review and updating of regional strategies and local authority development plans to reflect matters such as updated housing figures, projected jobs growth and renewable energy capacity allocations, including through the zoning of land for residential, employment and a range of other purposes. The implementation of the Planning and Development Act 2024 will also be closely aligned with the implementation of the revised NPF, with updated regional strategies and new 10-year development plans required to reflect the revised NPF as they are prepared.
There is a need to plan for a significant increase in the capacity to deliver housing across the country to meet population projections and associated housing requirements. Having regard to the need to ensure that current local authority development plans can be updated as quickly as possible to reflect the update housing requirements, it is intended to issue further policy direction to local authorities as quickly as possible following completion of the NPF Revision process, thereby translating updated NPF population and housing figures to the local authority level.
The revision to local plans and the associated zoning changes will be undertaken as part of a wider assessment at city/county level, to ensure that we have a strong strategic plan-led approach to future housing development that is based on the relevant up to date legislative and policy framework.
Implementing the NPF revisions in this manner will ensure that future decisions in relation to planning applications can be made in a robust and efficient manner, assisted by the statutory decision-making timelines contained within the Planning and Development Act 2024.
A copy of the Final Draft revised NPF can be accessed on the NPF website.