Following the publication of the outline of the proposed Planning and Development Bill in December 2022, the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage published the long-awaited draft Planning and Development Bill 2022 (the Bill) on 26 January 2023. The Department has confirmed that the Bill will be subject to pre-legislative scrutiny before it is finalised, and has promised that this new legislation will "bring greater clarity, consistency and certainty to how planning decisions are made."
The Bill seeks to restructure An Bord Pleanála, to be called An Coimisiún Pleanála or the Commission, and to consolidate and refine Irish planning law. It is hoped that, once enacted, the Bill will improve the development consenting processes, leading to speedier decision and a more streamlined judicial review process.
