Michael Collins TD welcomes consultation on common-sense planning exemptions, calls for modular homes plan to address homeless crisis - "We need action now"

Michael Collins TD welcomes consultation on common-sense planning exemptions, calls for modular homes plan to address homeless crisis - "We need action now"

Michael Collins TD, Leader of Independent Ireland, has welcomed the announcement of the public consultation on new planning exemptions by the Government — which is set to include the removal of requirements for permission to construct log cabins, attic conversions and small extensions — describing the move as “a long-overdue step we have called for repeatedly”.

Under the proposals, homeowners will be allowed to carry out various home improvements without seeking formal planning permission, so long as developments remain within specific size and safety guidelines. The changes will now permit single-storey log cabins of up to 40 square metres in rear gardens, provided they are used by family members, along with more straightforward attic conversions and extensions.

“This is finally a bit of common sense breaking through the planning fog, but it needs to happen now, not in six months or 12 months” Deputy Collins said. “Independent Ireland has been calling for these practical changes since we launched our general election manifesto. We’ve been very clear – the current planning regime has become a barrier, not a process. Families looking to build a small home for a son or daughter in the back garden, or adapt their house for elderly relatives, shouldn’t be treated like property developers.”

Collins also outlined the parties policy on the potential for modular homes to address the homelessness crisis and has called again for it to be implemented urgently:

"We have an escalating homeless crisis in this country, and we firmly believe that modular homes can go some way to providing a solution to get the thousands of Irish families and children out of emergency accomodation and hotel rooms quickly - modular homes for these families can achieve this quickly and efficiently. Ordered at scale with a competitive procurement process would be more cost effective and provide much needed relief to the families living in the nightmare of emergency accomodation.  We saw how quickly the government could put together modular home developments for Ukrainian families, there is nothing to stop them doing the same for Irish people, I do not understand why this solution is not being progressed urgently" 

Deputy Collins warned that while the plans for exemptions are welcome, they must represent the beginning of broader, faster reform. He said these changes, while beneficial for a certain cohort of homeowners, do not go far enough to address the deeper dysfunction within the planning system.

“This cannot be a token gesture,” he said. “These changes help a few, but they don’t fix the mess. Anyone who has tried to build a home in rural Ireland, or bring a derelict house back to life, knows the real problems haven’t gone away.”

He pointed to ongoing delays, excessive centralisation, and inconsistency across local authorities as evidence that the wider planning system is still failing. Collins said families are being refused permission to build on land they’ve owned for generations, farmers are unable to house their children, and small builders are abandoning projects altogether because of bureaucracy. He added that An Bord Pleanála remains overwhelmed and unaccountable, judicial reviews continue to cause endless delays, and rural housing policy is mired in contradiction depending on the county.

“This Government needs to get serious. This announcement is a start, but it’s no substitute for real reform,” he said.

Deputy Collins concluded by reaffirming that Independent Ireland would continue to push for full-scale change, not just headline-grabbing tweaks. “This is a step in the right direction, a small win for homeowners – and a vindication of the position we’ve taken from the start. But the public deserve a planning system that is fair, efficient and fit for purpose. That won’t happen unless there’s the political will to tackle the whole structure, and do it now.”