In this article we cover:

  • Problems with current planning rules
  • 2005 Planning Guidelines to be replaced by a Planning Statement in 2026
  • What to expect from the new planning statement
  • Specific changes mooted to ribbon development, locals only and housing need rules

The ROI government has confirmed a new National Planning Statement on Rural Housing will be published in 2026, after years of dragging its feet, to change onerous planning rules that are preventing people from building in rural areas.

Current rules are ‘overly rigid’

During Commencement Matters in the Seanad in November, Senator Dee Ryan urged the ROI government to relax and modernise guidelines that she said are preventing many local people from building homes on their own land – despite the ongoing housing crisis.

The current rural housing planning guidelines date from 2005 and, according to the senator, were written for “a completely different era”.

“In their current form they are overly rigid and no longer serve rural communities or the State in the midst of a national housing crisis,” she told the Seanad. “Nothing should be off the table when it comes to increasing housing supply.”

“If we are serious about increasing housing supply, we also have to be serious about creating opportunities for people who want to put down roots in rural areas,” she said, arguing that her proposals “serve one simple objective, namely to make it possible for more people who want to live in rural Ireland to build their own family homes”.

Senator Ryan highlighted County Limerick, where she’s met young couples struggling to get planning permission even when building on family land.

Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage John Cummings said: “I absolutely will ensure that we continue to support the development of rural one-off housing, as is happening around the country at present, but we must strike a balance.”

He said that under the National Planning Framework, National Planning Objective (NPO) 24 continues to support the sustainable development of rural areas.

He said that in urban areas (“within the commuter catchments of cities, towns and centres of employment”) rural housing would be facilitated “on the basis of demonstrable economic or social need” while in rural areas where there are low or declining population levels “rural housing may be facilitated on the basis of siting and design”.

Government confirms new national guidance

Responding on behalf of the Department of Housing, Minister of State John Cummins confirmed that new national guidance is on the way.

Under the Government’s latest housing plan, Delivering Homes, Building Communities 2025–2030, a National Planning Statement on Rural Housing is scheduled to be published in the latter half of 2026.

This will replace the existing 2005 guidelines and aims to bring greater clarity and consistency to how rural housing applications are assessed nationwide.

This commitment to publish a national planning statement in respect of rural housing in the latter half of 2026 is done “to provide clarity and consistency” not only across development plans but also around planning application outcomes, said Cummins.

“The national planning statement will replace the current rural housing planning guidelines which date from 2005 and will continue to enable development plans to provide for housing in rural areas,” he said.

“This will be balanced with the need to manage development in certain areas, including areas around cities and larger towns and environmentally sensitive areas.”

“I am from Waterford city and I do not believe that I should be able to go out into mid-County Waterford or west Waterford, buy a greenfield plot of land and build a brand new house,” he said.

“Of course I can go there and take a vacant or derelict property and turn it into my home. Of course there are areas of the country where, by virtue of somebody being born within a certain delineated line, that they are not able to go outside of it, particularly in smaller settlements.”

“These are all the things that are being discussed with my officials at the moment. I want to strike the balance in supporting towns and villages in rural areas while at the same time enabling rural one-off housing, where appropriate, in settings across the country.”

Ribbon development

A major barrier, Senator Ryan said, is the strict interpretation of ribbon development policies which currently limit development in some areas to four houses per 250 metres of road frontage.

Local Limerick councillors have proposed increasing the limit to six houses per 250 metres.

“It is true to say that ribbon development is treated differently in development plans across the country,” said Cummins. “In the new NPO, we need to see that clarity and consistency of approach, whether it is Donegal, Waterford, Limerick or Dublin.”

Locals only

Senator Ryan says she would also scrap the local area criterion for proposals in respect of new home developments within 1 km of a town or village. “The local area criterion was introduced to prevent speculative development,” she said.

“Twenty years on, however, our patterns of living, working and shopping have changed dramatically. More people work from home, online shopping means fewer car trips and many rural businesses are struggling with footfall, so edge-of-settlement areas within 1 km of towns and villages are ideal for rural housing.”

“In these locations, if applicants satisfy all other planning criteria, there is no meaningful purpose to having a local area criterion as well.”

Housing need

Senator Ryan also argued the ‘housing need’ requirement, which states that if you already own a house you don’t need to build one, should be abolished.

“If someone satisfies all other criteria, what difference does it make if you have another home? A new house is being built. Are we not in the game of housing supply? It is great if another home comes onto the rental market. Is that not a good thing?”

“We should allow landowners who meet the local area criterion to transfer their building options. People who satisfy the local area criterion and have a site should be able to transfer that building option to another person who has the means and wishes to make use of it.”

For Ireland’s self-builders, all eyes will now turn to the draft National Planning Statement in 2026, which is expected to determine whether the long-standing obstacles to rural homebuilding will finally be eased.