Attracta Uí Bhroin: Planning bill could delay delivery of homes and climate infrastructure

The Government said it would be enacted before the summer recess, but the UN found that it was not compliant with the Aarhus Convention

The UN committee responsible for overseeing the Aarhus Convention criticised elements of the draft Irish law that are not compliant with the convention. 

In April, Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien promised at a property and construction industry conference that the planning bill would be enacted before the summer recess, “come hell or high water”.

The Government pushed the Planning and Development Bill, 2023, through a guillotined debate on Wednesday, but announced on Thursday that the bill would not be passed before the Oireachtas summer recess.