Draft apartment standards overhaul aims to boost viability and accelerate housing delivery
Public consultation opens on new apartment design rules as Government targets 300,000 homes by 2030 and seeks to address viability challenges in apartment construction
9 June 2026 | editor@breakingground.news
The Government has launched a public consultation on a new national planning framework for apartment design standards, proposing significant changes aimed at reducing development costs, improving viability and increasing apartment delivery across Ireland.
Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage James Browne TD and Minister of State for Local Government and Planning John Cummins TD today invited submissions on the Draft National Planning Statement on Planning Design Standards for Apartments 2026 and its accompanying Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) Environmental Report.
The draft statement proposes a comprehensive review of apartment design standards and planning requirements, covering apartment mix, minimum floor areas, dual aspect requirements, floor-to-ceiling heights, stair and lift core ratios, storage provision and private and communal amenity spaces.
The consultation comes as the Government seeks to deliver at least 300,000 new homes between 2025 and 2030 under the Delivering Homes, Building Communities housing action plan, with apartments expected to play a critical role in meeting housing demand, particularly in urban areas and locations close to existing services and infrastructure.
A key theme throughout the draft statement is the need to address viability challenges that have constrained apartment development in recent years. The Department noted that a significant gap has emerged between the cost of delivering build-to-sell apartment schemes and achievable market sale prices, creating obstacles to both private sector development and the delivery of affordable and social housing.
Speaking at the launch of the consultation, Minister Browne said the supply of apartments is essential to meeting housing needs and supporting compact urban growth.
He said the draft statement seeks to balance maintaining high-quality apartment standards while promoting increased delivery, adding that accelerating housing output will require action across multiple fronts including infrastructure provision, development finance and measures to address viability constraints.
Minister Cummins said reducing apartment development costs would be essential if Ireland is to meet its target of delivering 300,000 homes by the end of the decade.
He said the revised standards are intended to help the State and the market respond more effectively to changing household needs while supporting apartment delivery where demand is strongest.
Among the most significant proposals is a move away from prescriptive apartment mix requirements. The draft statement proposes removing restrictions on the mix of unit types within developments, arguing that mandatory requirements can increase costs and reduce the overall number of homes delivered.
The document also proposes revisions to apartment floor area standards in response to demographic and societal changes, recognising the need for a broader range of apartment sizes and housing typologies.
Changes are also proposed in relation to dual aspect apartments and stair and lift core requirements. The Department said greater certainty in these areas would support more standardised building design, improve flexibility and enhance project viability.
The draft statement would also provide planning authorities with discretion to accept reduced levels of private open space, including balconies and patios, in certain circumstances.
In addition, the proposed framework would move towards a more plan-led approach for determining requirements for communal, community and cultural facilities within apartment developments.
The consultation also includes measures aimed at purpose-built student accommodation, with the Government seeking greater consistency in planning requirements and associated cost savings across the sector.
Separate provisions are proposed to support the refurbishment of existing buildings and the redevelopment of vacant, derelict and underutilised sites. Additional flexibility would be introduced for building refurbishment projects and small urban infill schemes, with the aim of encouraging regeneration and reducing vacancy.
The draft statement represents one of the first major planning policy documents prepared under the Planning and Development Act 2024. Since October 2025, the legislation has provided the statutory basis for National Planning Statements, which will gradually replace the Ministerial Guidelines previously issued under Section 28 of the Planning and Development Act 2000.
Once adopted, National Planning Statements will have a stronger role in shaping planning policy, with regional spatial and economic strategies, development plans and planning frameworks required to be materially consistent with national planning policies and measures contained within them.
The public consultation will remain open until 5.30pm on 7 July 2026. The Draft National Planning Statement, SEA Environmental Report and Non-Technical Summary are available through the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage website.
For the construction and development sector, the consultation signals a potential shift towards a more viability-focused planning framework as Government seeks to increase apartment output and support the delivery of approximately 50,000 new homes annually, in line with revised National Planning Framework projections through to 2040.
