COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, September 08, 2025

QUESTION NO. 41

QUESTION: Councillor F. Timmons

To ask the Chief Executive to provide a timeframe for the process of the new County Development Plan and when motions can be submitted?

REPLY:

The South Dublin County Development Plan 2022–2028 was adopted on 22 June 2022 and came into effect on 3 August 2022. Pursuant to the Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended), the Planning Authority is obligated to prepare a new development plan at six-year intervals. Additionally, the Act stipulates that, no later than four years after the adoption of the current plan, the Authority must notify the public of its intention to review the existing plan. Based on this timetable, the review process is anticipated to commence in the first or second quarter of 2026.

The new Planning and Development Act 2024 was signed into law on 17 October 2024. However, the commencement of its provisions are being phased in by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, and most of its sections, notably those related to plan-making, are not yet in force. South Dublin County Council (SDCC) is awaiting guidance from the Minister or Department for the review of the Development Plan. The 2024 Act mandates that Planning Authorities prepare a 10-year strategic plan, supported by a comprehensive evidence base extending to 12 years or more.

To facilitate the transition to the new 2024 Act, the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (DHLGH) has published an ‘Implementation Plan’ (March 2025), which outlines how the provisions of the 2024 Act will be phased in. As indicated, the implementation will be incremental. The relevant section for plan-making falls under Part 3 of the Act, titled ‘Plans, Policies and Related Matters’. The Implementation Plan states:

“Pending further engagement with local authorities, regional assemblies, and the Office of the Planning Regulator, it is anticipated that Block B will commence in mid-2025. This timetable may be adjusted depending on the progress of draft local authority development plans or local area plans. Block B facilitates the commencement of Part 3 (Plans, Policies and Related Matters), a key component of the 2024 Act. To ensure the effective operation of Part 3, Chapters 1 and 2 of Part 6 (environmental assessment), which include provisions for the appropriate assessment of plans, will also need to be commenced concurrently.”

As of now, these provisions have not yet been enacted by the Government.

SDCC Planning will maintain ongoing communication with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, as well as the Office of the Planning Regulator, to monitor the enactment of the relevant sections of the 2024 Act (as amended). This will ensure that statutory timelines are adhered to throughout the preparation of the new County Development Plan. Any review of the Development Plan will adhere to the statutory procedures outlined in the relevant legislation. The requirements under the 2000 and 2024 Acts are broadly similar and SDCCs approach to considering the plan stages at Special Council meetings is likely to continue. Such meetings are generally convened at key stages—Pre-Draft, Draft, and Material Amendments—when Members’ approval of the Plan will be sought, as well as consideration of any proposed motions.

Currently, the proposed variation to the South Dublin County Development Plan 2022–2028 for the Clondalkin Local Planning Framework is on public consultation and the CE report and the variation will be considered by the Council in Q4 2025. Additionally, as per the requirements of the recently issued revised housing supply targets for local authorities through the ‘National Planning Framework (NPF) Implementation – Housing Growth Requirements’ Guidelines for Planning Authorities (‘the 2025 Guidelines’), a variation may be proposed to facilitate the review and potential rezoning of lands to support increased housing capacity across the country.