Detached modular homes up to 45 sq.m built in a back garden will be exempt from the requirement to seek planning permission under proposals to be discussed by the Cabinet.
The plan is being brought forward by Minister of State for Planning John Cummins along with Minister for Housing James Browne.
The proposed changes include allowing an exemption for detached modular homes to the rear of a dwelling with a size up to 45 sq.m.
The unit must comply with building regulations while the size of the residual private garden space of 25 sq.m must be retained and set back from boundary walls.
Under current rules, an extension to the rear of a property is exempt from planning once it is 40 sq.m and is attached to the property.
Minister Cummins has said the plan is a practical and common-sense move which will provide housing options for people such as those with a disability or young persons who wish to live independently of the family home in the short term.
It will also give the option for parents who wish to ‘right-size’ within their own community while maintaining the support of their family.
A four-week public consultation will begin today.
Electricity supply bill
A new law with the aim of strengthening the resilience of the electricity grid will also be discussed by the Cabinet.
The bill is a response to the prolonged electricity outages seen after Storm Éowyn earlier this year.
Minister for Energy Darragh O’Brien is bringing the outline of the Electricity Supply Amendment Bill which will set standards for forestry maintenance and planting.
Storm Éowyn caused extensive and widespread disruption to the electricity network, with damage ranging from broken poles and lines to significant destruction in several areas.
The storm exposed critical vulnerabilities regarding unmanaged vegetation and commercial forestry close to electricity infrastructure.
The bill will set out a statutory regime to safeguard electricity infrastructure when passing through forestry.
It will give additional vegetation management powers to ESB Networks, and the attachment of maintenance responsibilities to landowners with a compensation mechanism to their interests.
Infrastructure report
Minister for Public Expenditure Jack Chambers is to bring a report by the department’s infrastructure division outlining barriers delaying the delivery of infrastructure following consultation and engagement.
These include the increased regulatory and legal burden for those developing key infrastructure, inconsistent planning decisions, and limits on regulatory agencies’ ability to prioritise and consider wider societal aims and limited public awareness of the consequences of poor infrastructure.
The report will place a heavy emphasis on the impact of judicial reviews and the growing threat of judicial reviews on the delivery of key infrastructure.
It is estimated that the planning and consenting process for critical infrastructure takes three to five years longer due to the added threat, duration and impact of judicial reviews.