Planning rollout put on hold
Further rollout of Ireland's new planning laws has been paused while work-to-rule by council staff continues, delaying the timetable for completing the overhaul of the planning system.
The Irish Examiner reported on 26 October 2026 that further enactment of the Government's Planning and Development Act had been paused due to ongoing work-to-rule by council staff. It reported that the Act had been slowly enacted over the last two years, with 24 parts yet to be put into action.
The Department of Housing confirmed the pause was due to “circumstances beyond its control”, the report said. The delay affects when the remaining parts of the 2024 Act come into force.
Irish Examiner
- Planning and Development Act changes paused due to work-to-rule process
Further enactment of the Government’s Planning and Development Act has been paused due to ongoing work-to-rule by council staff.
What the new Act was due to change
The Act, passed into law in 2024, consolidated Ireland's planning laws into a single piece of legislation. It included the change of An Bord Pleanála into An Coimisiún Pleanála, as well as new mandatory timelines for planning decisions and reform of the judicial review process.
Commencement has been done in stages by ministerial order. An order signed on 7 May 2026 by James Browne, Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, appointed 8 May 2026 for specified provisions including sections 291, 292 and 293 and parts of sections 294, 298, 300, 301 and 302.