Planning process for housing needs to change, according to economist

Vivienne Clarke

The planning process in Ireland needs to change so more houses can be built and more quickly, that is the view of economist John Fitzgerald.

Commenting on a European Commission report which said Ireland needed to “substantially revise upward” its housing targets, Prof. Fitzgerald said he was not at all surprised at the report.

Everyone knew that “we need loads more houses. The dogs in the street know that,” he told Newstalk Breakfast.
Prof Fitzgerald said it was not a lack of money.

The Government had the money and was building houses, but the planning system was the problem. Permission for projects was being held up by appeals so the system “goes on forever”. The process can take months and years.

“We need to be building substantially more, and we need the regulatory system to work and at the moment it's not working.”

Prof Fitzgerald said he was not suggesting that a fee should be charged for appeals, but there was “a serious mismatch”. There was also an issue with the tendering and contracting process which he said takes too long.

The issue would “ultimately” be solved, but not in the next year. It was going to take time.