Miscellaneous amendments and additions to reflect Government housing priorities to the Housing (Regulation of Approved Housing Bodies) Act 2019 and the Affordable Housing Act 2021.

To partly transpose the requirements of the recast Energy Performance of Buildings Directive.

See our Q&A briefing on the Directive here.

To provide for new regulatory controls requiring short-term and holiday lets to register with Fáilte Ireland with a view to ensuring that houses are used to best effect in areas of housing need.   

Guidelines on planning requirements for the short-term letting sector are to be published by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage simultaneously with the publication of the Bill. 

The Government originally aimed to have the register in place by Q2 2024.  However, the Bill has been the subject of ongoing engagement with the EU Commission to achieve alignment between the Bill and EU law, in particular the new EU Short Term Rental Regulation (STR) which all member states are required to transpose by 20 May 2026.   

To establish a regulatory model for district heating that ensures consumer protection and the delivery of a vibrant district heating industry, and to mandate all public sector buildings and facilities to connect to district heating where it is available and is technically, and economically feasible.   

To provide for the establishment of a remediation scheme for apartments and duplexes with fire safety, structural safety, and water ingress defects, constructed between 1991 and 2013.   

See Government press release. 

To establish a Building Standards Regulatory Authority to strengthen the oversight role of the State in respect of the design and construction of buildings and the marketing and use of construction products.   

Legislation to consolidate and update the Fire Services Acts.   

The primary purpose of the Bill is to amend the Industrial Development Act 1986 to strengthen IDA’s provision of: (i) environmental aid grants; and (ii) consultancy grants.   

The Bill will also permit IDA Ireland to establish jointly owned Designated Activity Companies, with the sole purpose of developing critical industrial, commercial property and infrastructure.     

To permit the State to secure a proportion of the uplift in land values resulting from rezoning decisions.   

Where rezoned land is developed, and the uplift in land value is realised, a proportion of that value being 25% of the zoning value of the land (reduced from 30% in the General Scheme), will be payable to the relevant planning authority as a condition of the grant of planning permission before the commencement notice is lodged with the building control authority.   

Measures to address delay and improve efficiencies in supporting the delivery of housing and infrastructure relating to: 

• statutory timelines for decision making 

• judicial review reform 

• expedited decision making 

• extensions to planning permissions 

• convening of meetings on certain appeals, referrals and applications  

• extension of duration of development plans  

To require a landlord terminating a residential tenancy on the grounds of intention to sell, to serve a notice inviting the tenant to make a bid on the dwelling during a 90-day period.   

The Bill also amends procedures relating to the conduct of mediations, adjudications and Tribunal hearings by the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) and the sharing of certain information by the Revenue Commissioners with the RTB.