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On 8^th April 2025, the Government has approved the Revised National Planning Framework (NPF) which, subject to the approval of both Houses of the Oireachtas, signals the conclusion of the NPF revision process which has been underway since June 2023. 

This milestone decision confirms the national policy approach for Ireland’s growth and development to 2040, creating the policy environment to release unlocked potential and address critical priorities, in particular housing, infrastructure and climate. The implementation of NPF policies is given effect through the actions of a broad range of public and private bodies, including homebuilders, the renewable energy sector, infrastructure agencies and domestic and international investors.

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 TD 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 TD 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 National Planning Framework Website.

On 5th November 2024, Government agreed to progress and publish a draft schedule of amendments to the First Revision to the National Planning Framework (NPF) arising from the public consultation process which took place from 10th July 2024 to 12th September 2024. In order to finalise the Revision of the National Planning Framework, Government will in due course be required to approve a final Revised NPF following the conclusion of the environmental assessments, which will include a Strategic Environmental Assessment; Natura Impact Statement and Appropriate Assessment Determination, and a Strategic Flood Risk Assessment. See Also: Government agrees to progress amendments to Draft Revision of National Planning Framework & ambitious new housing targets.

Government has agreed to the publication of a draft first revision of the National Planning Framework (NPF) for public consultation. The NPF is the overarching policy and planning framework for the social, economic and cultural development of Ireland to 2040.

The Draft Revision of the NPF focuses on the need to update the Framework (introduced in 2018) in order to appropriately reflect changes to Government policy that have taken place since its initial publication six years ago, such as climate transition, regional development, demographics, digitalisation and investment and prioritisation.

The Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, gives a statutory underpinning to the NPF that is now reaffirmed through the Planning and Development Bill, 2023 which provides for a strengthened plan-led system based on an integrated hierarchy of plan-making, with the NPF at the apex of that hierarchy.

The Draft Revision has been published here and members of the public are encouraged to share their views by making a submission on the draft as part of the public consultation process. Public consultation on the draft will run from today, 10th July 2024 to 5pm on 12th September 2024. An information campaign (including broadcast, print digital and social media) will also run to raise awareness of the consultation process and to encourage the public to engage with the draft revision.

The draft revised framework retains the original NPF focus on a more balanced distribution of growth across all of Ireland’s regions – emphasising the potential for regional growth to harness the attractiveness and assets of all regions and places to a greater extent than ever before. Emerging changes in population distribution across the regions detailed in Census 2022 are encouraging. In terms of regional growth, the pattern is one of all three regions growing and in addition, every county in Ireland saw population growth in Census 2022. While recent Census data indicates a greater rate of natural population increase in Dublin and the mid-east and that the transition to balanced regional development is taking time to materialise, the revised draft remains strongly focused on ensuring equitable growth between the East and Midlands and the rest of the country.

The revised draft also retains the original NPF commitment to the promotion of city-based population and employment growth with a target of 50% of future population and employment growth to be focused in the existing five cities and their suburbs including ambitious growth targets for the cities of Cork, Limerick, Galway and Waterford. Greater investment and jobs-led growth in the cities will support a stronger urban structure and enhanced economic performance and investment for the respective wider regions.

Once finalised, the revised National Planning Framework will be incorporated into the Regional Spatial and Economic Strategies and the City and County Development Plans, including through updated Housing Supply Targets.

Speaking today, the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien TD emphasised:

“The world has changed significantly since the NPF was first published in 2018, and we must ensure our national planning strategy is appropriate for our current and future needs. These changes need to be reflected in the NPF as they impact on how we plan for the country’s growth and development, particularly in relation to our growing and changing population and our climate action commitments.

“While we are revising the National Planning Framework to reflect today’s realities, some things remain consistent. We are absolutely focused on delivering greater regional balance for the future growth of our country and we remain committed to driving growth in all of our cities – seeing them as key engines of regional development.

“Crucially, a revised framework will guide our continued momentum in housebuilding. Supply is increasing with more than 110,000 new homes delivered since 2020, the year this Government took office. We also know the pipeline is extremely strong with work beginning on 52,000 new homes in the past 12 months. We aim to ramp up supply in the coming years and a revised planning framework will provide a roadmap to direct that activity.

“The draft updated NPF is now published and available for the public and all interested parties to consider – and, indeed, to make their own views known. This consultation is an important next step in shaping the final version of the revised NPF and I would strongly encourage anyone interested to make a submission.”

Minister of State with responsibility for Planning and Local Government, Alan Dillon TD added:

“The revised NPF will be a key blueprint setting out the future infrastructural needs as we continue to develop as a country. The draft revised strategy is focused on supporting the current policy approach which promotes regional development and the development of rural towns and villages through managed and sustainable growth. As our population continues to grow, 50:50 regional balance between our major cities and rural regional towns is essential to ensuring rural Ireland prospers at the same rate as our cities.

“I am pleased to note that the importance of providing community infrastructure including education, childcare and healthcare facilities, as well as recreational facilities such as parks, has been highlighted as a significant necessity for the creation of sustainable communities. The potential for these types of infrastructure to act as enablers for housing, with the need for timely delivery of facilities, is signalled in the draft NPF revision. I look forward to seeing a strong public engagement as we enter the public consultation phase.”

The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien, TD, has welcomed the publication of the Expert Group Report in relation to the First Revision of the National Planning Framework (NPF).

The Expert Group, comprising three independent experts with experience of spatial planning, economic and social development and environmental protection, was established in March 2023. The Expert Group was requested by the Minister to provide a high-level overview of the NPF, published in 2018, and to identify matters to be considered in the first statutory revision of the NPF.

Government formally commenced the process to undertake the First Revision of the NPF in June 2023, and the process is due to be completed in April 2024.

The Expert Group’s Report summarised that the NPF Revision should build on the current NPF strategy and strengthen it in three broad respects:

• Compact growth targets should be more ambitious and more clearly defined;
• The roles of the bodies involved in its implementation should be clarified and strengthened (particularly in relation to Metropolitan Area Strategic Plans) and mechanisms put in place for more detailed measurement and monitoring of its progress; and
• There should be greater coordination at whole of government level across all infrastructure projects (including the NDP) and new efforts made to generate broader support for national spatial planning across all of society.

The Report has highlighted a total of thirteen recommendations, categorised generally under the following headings:

• Settlement Strategy and Compact Growth;
• Investment and Prioritisation;
• Implementation and Monitoring;
• Support Measures for National Spatial Planning; and
• Miscellaneous Recommendations

In welcoming the report Minister O’Brien said:

“This Report is an important signpost in the First Revision to the National Planning Framework and provides clarity on what should be the focus for this revision. I wish to thank the members of the Expert Group for their valuable contribution, expertise and commitment with this body of work.

“I am giving careful consideration to the recommendations of the Expert Group, as the revision process provides the opportunity to develop the national planning policy agenda to shape Ireland’s future growth and development in the years ahead.”

The Minister of State for Local Government and Planning, Kieran O’Donnell TD, emphasised the value of the report to the revision process:

“In completing this Report, the members of the Expert Group have undertaken a comprehensive review which will be instrumental in informing the debate and discussion with key stakeholder groups specifically established for the revision process, including the reconvened Planning Advisory Forum. I look forward to engaging with the Forum members on the Expert Group report and advancing to the next stage of the revision process over the coming weeks.”

The Expert Group submitted their Report to Minister O’Brien on 16th August 2023 and it will now inform the preparation of an ‘Issues Paper’ which is currently in development for stakeholder consultation.

This process will also inform the preparation of the draft NPF Revision, which will be subject to Oireachtas engagement and scrutiny by the Joint Oireachtas Committee. The draft revision will be published for consultation in December 2023.

All relevant information pertaining to the revision will be available on the dedicated website, accessible at www.npf.ie .