Chambers Ireland Welcomes the Proposals of Planning Regulation Reforms

6th October 2017

Chambers Ireland today (6 Oct 2017) welcomed proposals by Minister for Housing, Eoghan Murphy to introduce reforms to planning regulations in urban areas.

Speaking this afternoon, Chambers Ireland Chief Executive Ian Talbot said, “Today's comments by Minister Eoghan Murphy are very welcome.

"The undersupply of housing is a severe threat to our economic competitiveness and will continue well into the long-term unless we change our thinking around housing and urban living."

"As the population of Ireland's urban centres continues to grow we must seek to increase their density. We cannot allow the pattern of urban sprawl that surrounds Dublin to continue or to be replicated around Ireland's other cities. Increased population density in urban centres and towns reduces the cost of connecting ever greater numbers of people to quality infrastructure services. Building upwards and not outwards will enable vibrant, sustainable cities to grow.

"The reforms must lead to lower construction costs and ultimately to greater provision of housing within cities at an affordable price. We also ask that alongside this measure Government commits to increasing the quality and provision of inter and intra urban public transport. The National Planning Framework is also a vital component in this evolution and we look forward to its completion by the end of the year.”