Ministers James Browne and John Cummins have opened a consultation on the 2026 draft statement setting out apartment design standards, with submissions due by 5:30pm on 7 July 2026 and an accompanying SEA Environmental Report available.

On 9 June 2026, the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, James Browne TD, and the Minister of State for Local Government and Planning, John Cummins TD, invited public submissions on the Draft National Planning Statement on Planning Design Standards for Apartments 2026, issued alongside a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) Environmental Report.

The draft statement proposes national policy and standards for apartment development, covering matters such as apartment mix, internal space standards for different apartment types, dual-aspect ratios, floor-to-ceiling heights, stair and lift core ratios, storage, and amenity spaces including balconies and patios. It seeks to balance strong quality and build standards with increasing overall delivery.

Launching the consultation, Minister Browne said: "The supply of apartments is critical to meeting the needs of our people, forming a crucial part of the overall mix of homes that are needed, particularly in locations that are close to existing facilities and services.

"This Draft National Planning Statement on apartment standards aims to strike a balance between ensuring that apartment development meets continued and sustained high build standards and quality, while promoting an increased level of delivery that is badly needed for people who want to buy or rent.

"We have to activate more land, providing more housing-related infrastructure, securing more development finance for home building and addressing viability challenges, particularly those seen in apartment delivery, through a range of measures including fiscal incentives.

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"If we are to achieve a serious acceleration in housing delivery, we must engage every mechanism available to achieve our ambition for people to have the homes they need to grow up and grow old in."

Minister of State for Local Government and Planning John Cummins TD added: "Every effort must be made to further reduce the costs of apartment development if we want to achieve the delivery of 300,000 homes by the end of 2030.

"Crucial to that is ensuring that the State and the market can respond to changing household needs and focus the delivery of apartments where they are needed most.

"These revised planning design standards will assist in addressing viability constraints within the construction sector and promote the increased delivery of apartments, while safeguarding standards, to address the growing need to supply a greater range of housing typologies to meet the needs of our population."

Members of the public can submit observations on the draft statement, the SEA Environmental Report and the Non-Technical Summary until 5:30pm on 7 July 2026. Documents are available at www.gov.ie/PDSANPS.

The government's housing action plan, Delivering Homes, Building Communities, targets a minimum of 300,000 homes between 2025 and 2030. It aligns with revised National Planning Framework projections to plan for around 50,000 additional homes annually to 2040 and reinforces the commitment to compact growth. Meeting these goals will require a significant uplift in output across all housing types, particularly apartments in central, well-served urban areas.

Viability remains a key constraint, especially for build-to-sell apartments, where a notable gap persists between delivery costs and comparable market prices. Rising costs also affect social and affordable housing schemes. The draft statement aims to provide a proportionate regulatory approach that maintains standards while enabling higher output overall.

National Planning Statements are provided for under Part 3 of the Planning and Development Act 2024, commenced on 2 October 2025, allowing the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, with Government approval, to issue such statements. They will replace Ministerial guidelines previously issued under section 28 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended). Existing section 28 guidelines remain in force until revoked and replaced. National Planning Statements will set policy and guidance to support proper planning and sustainable development. Regional Spatial and Economic Strategies, development plans, and planning schemes or frameworks must be materially consistent with National Planning Policies and Measures and take due account of National Planning Policy Guidance.

Key elements addressed in the draft include: no fixed requirements for unit mix to avoid cost impacts that could limit the number of homes delivered; provision for a broader range of apartment types and sizes reflecting demographic and societal shifts; greater certainty on dual-aspect ratios and lift/stair core arrangements to support standardisation, flexibility and viability; potential for reduced private open space in defined circumstances; a plan-led approach to communal, community and cultural facilities; policies to improve consistency and achieve cost savings in purpose-built student accommodation; and added flexibility on design standards for refurbishment projects and small urban infill schemes to tackle vacancy and dereliction.