DARRAGH O'BRIEN TD
  • HOME
  • About Darragh
  • News
  • Parliamentary Questions
    • Housing, Planning & Local Government PQ's
    • School PQs
    • Foreign Affairs PQS
    • Oral Questions
  • Newsletters
  • Videos
  • PHOTOS
  • FIANNA FAIL
  • CONTACT
  • DATA Protection Statement

News

Minister O’Brien announces new planning permission conditions & an owner occupier guarantee

19/5/2021

 
The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien TD has today announced new planning measures to mitigate against the bulk purchase of houses and duplexes and plans to earmark homes in certain developments for owner occupiers.
  • New planning guidelines will be issued shortly by way of a Departmental circular under Section 28 of the Planning & Development Act 2000 to require Local Authorities and An Bord Pleanala to prohibit bulk buying of houses and duplexes.
  • Separately the “owner occupier guarantee” which will be introduced via legislative amendment, will involve enabling Local Authorities to designate a specified number of houses and duplexes with a pre-determined range of at least 0-50% in a development for owner occupiers similar to requirements under Part V of the Planning & Development Act 2000. Current Part V requirements will be additional to any owner occupier designation.
 
Commenting Minister O’Brien said, “The Minister for Finance and I have worked closely to provide genuine solutions to the issue of institutional investors crowding buyers out of the market. We have been very clear that institutional investment has a role to play in supporting new supply, particularly in delivering high density apartments that would otherwise not be built. However they should not be allowed to snap up already completed developments where there is a clear demand and no viability issues.
“I fully acknowledge the sheer frustration which people have expressed recently. The measures which we have agreed will have immediate and longer term impacts and will help to level the playing field for first-time buyers and owner occupiers.
“From a planning perspective we will issue a Departmental circular to Local Authorities to prohibit bulk buying of houses and duplexes. We will also introduce legislative amendments to enable Local Authorities, based on their own Housing Needs and Demand Assessment, to designate a specified number of houses and duplexes in a development for owner occupiers.
“Apartments, due to the fundamental viability issues, will be exempt from these provisions. This is in recognition of the fact that we need continued investment from international capital to ensure supply in core urban and high density areas. Further measures we are introducing by way of the Affordable Housing Bill 2021, such as the direct build of units by Local Authorities, the shared equity scheme, and a revamped Serviced Sites Fund will help those first time buyers wishing to purchase an apartment to do so. The Part V provisions of 10% affordable and 10% social remains will be in place in apartment developments.  
“The Affordable Housing Bill, which I introduced to the Oireachtas just last night together with the Land Development Agency Bill 2021, will work together to give people the opportunity of ownership.  These two landmark pieces of legislation are backed up by the largest housing budget in the history of the State and our most ambitious social housing targets on record. Combined, this represents a major step change in our housing policy that mobilises both the public and private sector.
“Tackling the crisis is our top priority and it will take a whole of Government approach. Our work with Minister Donohoe and his Department has demonstrated our commitment to putting home ownership back in reach for people,” he concluded.
ENDS
Notes to Editor:
  • These measures are a core part of the government’s affordable housing policy that is currently progressing through the Oireachtas and are backed by €620m in affordability measures in 2021 alone namely:
    • The LDA as a major nationwide developer of affordable homes on state lands
    • Shared Equity Scheme to  increase first time buyers purchasing power
    • Reformed Serviced Sites Fund to enable Local Authorities 
    • Direct Local Authority Build of affordable units
    • New Cost Rental Scheme
    • Expanded Help to Buy scheme
  • The circular to be issued to local authorities will specify that developers of five units or more must enter into an agreement with the Local Authority that will limit sales of such units to individual buyers.
  • “The owner occupier guarantee” will involve enabling Local Authorities to designate a specified number of houses and duplexes with a pre-determined range of at least 0-50% in a development for first time buyers and owner occupiers similar to requirements under Part V of the Planning & Development Act 2000. The evidence base for the designation will be the Housing Need and Demand Assessment (HNDA) to be undertaken by the local authority for the area.
  • Legal advice clearly stipulates that planning permission changes cannot be applied retrospectively. This means any planning changes will only impact on future applications.
  • The provision of social and affordable housing by AHBs and LAs is exempt.
  • Apartments, due to the fundamental viability issues, will be exempt from these provisions.
  • The planning permission conditions will be subject to enforcement. If the conditions attached to a planning permission are not complied with the development itself is considered unauthorised and the owner of the development is susceptible to enforcement actions on behalf of the planning authority.  Under Section 151 of the Act 2000 it is an offence to carry out, or to have carried out, unauthorised development.

Comments are closed.
    Picture

    NEWS

    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    October 2015

Darragh O'Brien TD


Address

Darragh O'Brien TD
Leinster House
Kildare Street
Dublin 2

Telephone

T:  01-6183802

Email

At present, and as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, I am not holding my regular meetings across our towns and villages in North County Dublin. However, both I and my office are happy to speak to you and assist you with any issues you may have.

For all housing, planning or heritage related queries please don’t hesitate to contact:
Email: minister@housing.gov.ie
Phone: 01-8882000
Postal address: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Custom House, Dublin 1, D01 W6X0
 
For all constituency related queries please don’t hesitate to contact:
Email: Darragh.obrien@oireachtas.ie
Phone: 01-6183802
Postal address: Dáil Éireann, Leinster House, Kildare Street, Dublin 2.
 



  • HOME
  • About Darragh
  • News
  • Parliamentary Questions
    • Housing, Planning & Local Government PQ's
    • School PQs
    • Foreign Affairs PQS
    • Oral Questions
  • Newsletters
  • Videos
  • PHOTOS
  • FIANNA FAIL
  • CONTACT
  • DATA Protection Statement