Planning

Legislation introducing new fast-track approval processes for critical infrastructure has been published by the government. The Critical Infrastructure Bill will mandate every public body to do everything within its power to accelerate approval of any designated projects or programmes to the maximum

Tughans lawyer Aoife Murray has been appointed as chair of the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) Northern Ireland Young Planners Committee. The committee supports early career planners across Northern Ireland through professional development, networking and knowledge‑sharing initiatives.

A review of the role and functions of the Office of the Planning Regulator (OPR) is now under way. The review will seek to determine the future role of the OPR; how to best align plan review, examination, and training functions within the Irish planning system; the optimal use of resources to achiev

Infrastructure projects and programmes designated as "critical" will be fast-tracked through the approval process under legislative plans announced by the government. The general scheme of the Critical Infrastructure Bill proposes to allow the government to make such a designation, subject to D&aacu

A major review of regulations to identify and tackle barriers to infrastructure delivery has been announced by the government. The review is set to be undertaken by the new Regulatory Simplification Unit which has been established in the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Servi

Legislation lifting the Dublin Airport passenger gap is to be drafted as a matter of priority, the government has confirmed. The Dublin Airport (Passenger Capacity) Bill 2026 will empower the minister for transport to make an order to amend or revoke the 32 million passenger cap at Dublin Airport.

The Supreme Court has, for the first time, clarified the implications of amended climate action legislation for bodies such as An Coimisiún Pleanála. Delivering judgment for the Supreme Court, Chief Justice Donal O’Donnell explained that s.15 of the Climate Action and Low Carbon

Alice Whittaker, Leonora Mullet, Rachel Minch, Alison Hardiman and Margaret O'Leary of Philip Lee examine a case where the Supreme Court is willing to make a mandatory order ordering a local authority to make a local area plan. The first Supreme Court decision of 2026 considers the requirement

All new proposals for new-build social housing projects up to €200 million will now be dealt with under a single approval process. The new system is intended to cut delays, streamline delivery and accelerate the construction of new social homes.

Legal costs associated with planning and environmental judicial reviews have increased dramatically over the past decade, a newly-published report has highlighted. The 78-page research report was prepared by law firm Fieldfisher for the the Office of the Planning Regulator (OPR) in December 2023 but

A number of reforms under the landmark Planning and Development Act 2024 have now entered into effect. The key reforms in the latest phase of the Act's commencement relate for the most part to local authority development plans and local area plans.

A settlement has been reached in judicial review proceedings brought against the granting of planning permission for the €1.3 billion Greater Dublin Drainage (GDD) project. In a statement on Friday, Uisce Éireann said it had reached an agreement to settle the High Court proceedings prior

Government plans to place new restrictions on judicial review challenges to planning decisions have been branded "an attack on the rule of law".

New legislation is to extend reforms to planning judicial reviews to applications submitted under the earlier regime. Ministers have agreed to amend the Planning and Development Act 2024 to extend provisions relating to judicial reviews to decisions made or acts done under the previous Planning and

Dr Orla Kelleher pushes back against the narrative that judicial reviews are to blame for the housing crisis. In recent weeks, journalists, developers, tech entrepreneurs, the Minister for the Environment, and now even the Taoiseach have lined up to blame public participation in the planning system,