Impending changes in planning laws ‘more important’ than budget negotiations - Minister

 Changes due within weeks to the State’s planning laws to quicken the construction of large projects are “more important” than the spending talks with Cabinet ministers in advance of next week’s budget, the Minister for Public Expenditure Jack Chambers said, addressing a British-Irish Chamber of Commerce conference. Promising the most ambitious reforms “seen for decades”, the Minister said they would result in “peeling back a lot of the guidance, the public administration which is getting in the way of delivery”. “Ultimately, for me, making the case for reform is more important than the discussion that we have about who gets what next Tuesday in terms of Budget 2026,” Mr Chambers said. Narrow interests by individuals “are blocking broader social and economic objectives”, he said, while administrative hurdles faced by State planners and councils often do not “add value and only adds time and delays”.

Read the full article @ The Irish Times

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Two consortiums will bid to build long-awaited MetroLink

 Two consortiums have confirmed they will bid to build the long-awaited MetroLink rail line, which was finally granted permission by An Coimisiún Pleanála on Thursday, three years after planning permission was sought. The 18.8km rail line, expected to cost more than €10 billion, was first proposed a quarter of a century ago and is anticipated to begin operations in the mid-2030s. Travelling mostly underground, the remote-controlled, driverless trains will run every three minutes from Swords in north Dublin to Charlemont, close to Ranelagh in South Dublin. The route will have 16 stops serving areas including Dublin Airport, Ballymun, Glasnevin, Phibsborough and the city centre. A trip from Swords to the city centre is expected to take about 25 minutes, while journeys from the airport to the city will take about 20 minutes.

Read the full article @ The Irish times 

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MetroLink project given green light by An Coimisiún Pleanála

 Permission has been granted for Dublin's long-awaited MetroLink project linking the city centre to the airport. An Coimisiún Pleanála published the Railway order this morning which gives construction for the MetroLink Project the green light. The MetroLink plan consists of a new 18.8km railway line, most of which will be underground, from Charlemont near Dublin city centre to Swords Estuary in the north of the county. The project was first mooted in the year 2000, but it was shelved during the financial crisis.

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More than 85% of planning roles sought two years ago remain vacant

 Just 15 per cent of the new planners sought by city and county managers two years ago to speed up the delivery of new housing have been recruited, latest figures show. While delays in the planning process are cited by developers, builders and utilities as a big reason for the undersupply of housing, the planning departments of local authorities remain understaffed by hundreds of posts, with only slow progress in filling the vacancies. In 2023, during debates on revised planning legislation, the body that represents city and county managers said that local authorities countrywide needed 541 more planners to keep up with existing demand – and would need more to fulfil an expanded role under the new Planning and Development Act. 

Read the full article @ The Irish Times

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Sport Ireland seeks planning permission for national cricket centre

 Plans lodged by Sport Ireland for a new national cricket centre, including a spectator bowl, would generate a €93 million tourism dividend here over a five-year period, according to planning documents lodged with Fingal County Council. During the same 2026 to 2030 period, the cricket stadium, which would have a permanent capacity of 4,240, would generate an additional €29 million through ticket sales and operational expenditure. Sport Ireland is also seeking permission for a high-performance centre and supporting infrastructure at the Sport Ireland National Sports Campus at Abbotstown.

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Read the full article @ https://www.irishtimes.com/

Planning permission granted for new apartment scheme on site of Dublin’s largest synagogue

 Planning permission has been granted for a large new apartment scheme on the site of Dublin’s largest synagogue, despite concern by local residents about the scale of the plans and the loss of an iconic building. Dublin City Council approved plans by developer, Granbrind Terenure Limited, for the construction of 60 apartments on a 0.54 site on Rathfarnham Road in Terenure that currently houses an Orthodox Jewish synagogue. However, the scale of the development has been reduced by the company from its original plans for 66 apartments after serious concerns were raised by council planners. The scheme will consist of three apartment blocks ranging from three to six storeys in height. The developer claimed its plans strike a balance between minimising the impact of the development on neighbouring residents and securing a reasonable scale and density in line with national planning policy.

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Read the full article @ www.independent.ie

Investigation into Bobby Sands statue erected in West Belfast without planning permission

 BELFAST CITY COUNCIL is investigating after a statue of Bobby Sands was unveiled in West Belfast without the appropriate planning permission. It was erected in a memorial garden in Sands’ area of Twinbrook to mark 44 years since the former IRA member and MP died aged 27 following a sustained hunger strike in which 9 other republicans passed away. They were protesting sweeping internment measures enacted by the British Government, led by Margaret Thatcher, during the Troubles due to terrorism concerns. The deaths of Sands and his fellow strikers caused a large increase in recruitment for the IRA, after nationalist communities largely rallied in support of the group. The unveiling of the statue on Sunday was attended by First Minister of Northern Ireland and Sinn Féin vice-president, Michelle O’Neill who described it on X as a “powerful tribute” which she says “continues to inspire people here in Ireland and across the world in pursuit of freedom and justice”.

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Read the full article @ Thejournal.ie