Here is today's round-up of town planning news from around Ireland, covering the short-term letting planning statement going to Cabinet, a High Court ruling clearing 402 apartments in Ballyboden, the end of legal challenges to the Galway City Ring Road, a new 502-home application in Dundalk, a green space appeal in Tallaght, HAP rental supply and a call to scale up the Land Development Agency.
Short-term letting planning statement goes to Cabinet
Housing Minister James Browne is bringing the National Planning Statement on short-term letting to Cabinet today, setting out how councils should decide planning applications for short-term lets. The threshold-based approach is intended to effectively stop new permissions for short-term lets in towns and cities with populations over 20,000, while in smaller places applications will be considered and existing operators will have two years to get planning consent. Anyone letting a property or rooms for 21 nights or fewer will have to register with Fáilte Ireland, and retention will be acceptable in certain cases for lets operating without consent for seven years or more.
Source: The Journal (3 November 2026)
High Court clears 402 apartments at Taylor's Lane, Ballyboden
Judge Richard Humphreys has rejected Ballyboden Tidy Towns Company's challenge to An Coimisiún Pleanála's September 2025 permission for 402 apartments by Shannon Homes at the former Augustinian seminary on Taylor's Lane, the third permission for the site after two earlier approvals were overturned or conceded. The judge found the applicant had not shown the site was outside a built-up urban area, held that the county development plan supports higher densities within Dublin's existing footprint including suburbs, and said the inspector and the Commission had exercised an evaluative judgment on density. He added that even if there had been a legal flaw he would have refused to quash the permission given the urgent public interest in housing, and provisionally proposed that each side pay its own costs.
Source: The Irish Times (2 November 2026)
Last legal challenge to Galway City Ring Road withdrawn
Active travel campaigner Shane Foran has withdrawn his High Court challenge to An Coimisiún Pleanála's April approval of the N6 Galway City Ring Road after mediation produced commitments to progress walking and cycling facilities on the Headford, Ballymoneen and Letteragh roads, following the earlier withdrawal of challenges by three homeowners. The 18km route, from the end of the M6 to west of Bearna, was first approved in 2022 but that decision was quashed over the failure to consider the Climate Action Plan. Minister of State Seán Canney expects procurement to finish next year, enabling works from mid-2027 and main construction to begin in 2028, with about €1 billion earmarked.
Source: RTÉ News (2 November 2026)
New application for 502 homes at Haggardstown, Dundalk
Marina Quarter Ltd, a Glenveagh Homes subsidiary, has lodged a new large-scale residential development application with Louth County Council for 502 homes, mostly two- and three-bed houses, and a crèche on about 18.5 hectares at Haggardstown and Marshes Upper, with an EIAR and Natura impact statement. The scheme includes a 2.7-hectare central park and interim wastewater storage measures pending Uisce Éireann upgrades at the Coes Road pumping station. Earlier 502-home proposals on the lands were refused on appeal, most recently by An Coimisiún Pleanála in April 2026; submissions are due by 3 December.
Source: Dundalk Democrat (2 November 2026)
Refusal upheld for house on Old Bawn green space
An Coimisiún Pleanála has upheld South Dublin County Council's refusal of a single-storey home on open space at 20A Old Bawn Way, Tallaght, proposed by Kenny Estates as housing for older persons or social housing. The Commission said the appeal had not shown the scheme was community-led housing for older people, social housing or council affordable housing within the development plan policy that allows such housing on open space zoning only where the remaining open space is adequate. Local residents and a councillor welcomed the decision and called on the council to protect the estate's green spaces.
Source: The Echo (2 November 2026)
Just 12 rentals within HAP limits in September, says Simon
The Simon Communities of Ireland's latest Locked Out of the Market report found only 12 properties to rent within any housing assistance payment limits across 16 areas surveyed in September, with none in 11 areas including Cork city, Limerick city centre, Athlone, Sligo, Portlaoise and Waterford city centre. A total of 1,361 properties were available at any price, up 63 per cent on a year earlier. The charity said it had hoped the budget would raise HAP limits, which did not change.
Source: The Irish Times (3 November 2026)
Eamon Ryan calls for Land Development Agency to double output
In an opinion piece, former minister Eamon Ryan, who chaired the European Housing Advisory Board, argues that the Land Development Agency is the one large developer that could scale up quickly, noting about 3,125 homes delivered since 2022 and 13,000 more promised by 2030, mostly cost rental. He points to its sites near Colbert Station in Limerick, Cork docklands and new metro and DART West stations in Dublin as suited to transport-oriented development. He says the main obstacle is the Department of Public Expenditure and calls for housing finance to be planned over 50 years or more.
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