Planning reform is no longer optional
PROPERTY
Property Insights by Johnny Gannon, Fair Deal Property
There is a growing disconnect at the heart of Ireland’s housing system, and nowhere is it more visible than in Galway. We have demand, funding, capable builders, and suitable land. Yet we are still not delivering homes at the scale or speed required.
The issue is not ambition or resources. It is the planning system, and in its current form, it is no longer fit for purpose.
Ireland’s planning framework was built for a different era, one where control and caution were prioritised. Today, the challenge is the opposite. We are facing chronic under-delivery, yet we are relying on a system designed to slow things down. That contradiction is at the core of the problem.
Even well-prepared developments, supported by pre-planning consultation and significant professional input, are routinely delayed once applications are submitted. Further Information requests often revisit issues already addressed, resetting timelines and creating fresh uncertainty. What should be a clear, structured process becomes open-ended.
That uncertainty is what ultimately stalls delivery. Development depends not just on permission, but on confidence in the pathway to permission.
The cost of delay is real and compounding. Projects become more expensive. Marginal sites become unviable. Supply is withheld from a market already under pressure. Prices rise further, particularly impacting those least able to afford them. Over time, trust in the system itself begins to erode.
Infill sites, often serviced and strategically located, should represent straightforward opportunities. Instead, they frequently become prolonged planning cases, highlighting the system’s inefficiencies.
Government has recognised the issue, with reform proposals aimed at improving timelines, resourcing, and process alignment. These are steps in the right direction. But direction alone is not enough.
Real reform must be felt on the ground. It must bring certainty, consistency, and efficiency to the application process.
There is also a cultural issue at play. Pre-planning engagement should provide clarity, yet too often it does not carry through to decision stage. Issues are reopened, and previously agreed positions are revisited. This creates an iterative system where progress is constantly reset.
A functioning system would ensure continuity. It would make pre-planning guidance meaningful, align departments from the outset, and move compliant applications efficiently to decision.
Galway has the conditions for strong housing delivery. But conditions alone do not build homes.
Planning exists to enable good development, not prevent it. Until it becomes part of the solution rather than the primary bottleneck, the housing crisis will persist.
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