Ireland’s ongoing housing crisis has recently put planning laws into the political spotlight, with modular homes emerging as a potential solution to alleviate pressure on the housing market. Yesterday, 19th February, the Dáil convened to discuss proposed changes to planning regulations, focusing on easing restrictions for modular homes, including log cabins, in a bid to provide flexible and affordable housing options.
Dáil Talks: A Focus on Modular Homes and Planning Reform
Yesterday’s Dáil session saw a debate on the government’s proposal to relax planning rules for modular homes, particularly those constructed as free-standing structures like cabins in back gardens. The initiative aims to amend existing regulations that currently allow extensions of up to 40 square meters without planning permission. Under the new proposal, free-standing modular homes of similar size would also be exempt from planning requirements, a move designed to facilitate “intergenerational movement” by allowing younger generations or aging parents to live independently yet close to family.
The discussion highlighted the urgency of addressing Ireland’s housing shortage, with modular homes seen as a stopgap measure rather than a comprehensive fix. Opposition voices, including Sinn Féin and the Social Democrats, cautioned against potential misuse by landlords and emphasised the need for broader, more sustainable housing solutions.
However, the government maintained that the reform aligns with recent legislative overhauls, such as the Planning and Development Act 2024, which seeks to streamline planning processes and boost housing supply.
A Rural Perspective
Minister Marian Harkin TD described the planning regulation reforms as innovative solution: “Currently, homeowners can build extensions of up to 40 square meters without planning permission, provided the extension is attached to the main house. By removing the requirement for attachment, we could empower some families to start addressing their own housing challenges. This is a common-sense, intergenerational solution,” Minister Harkin stated.
She emphasised that this change could enable younger family members to establish independent living spaces on family land while remaining within their communities. Over time, as housing needs evolve, families could potentially swap homes—an arrangement already seen in garage conversions nationwide. However, Minister Harkin noted that such conversions can be costly and disruptive, whereas modular housing offers a more flexible and efficient alternative.
“It is important to acknowledge that these structures will only be appropriate in certain settings where space allows. However, we must make housing more accessible, and this is just one of several measures under government consideration,” Minister Harkin added. She referenced additional efforts, including the implementation of the Planning and Development Act and updates to the National Planning Framework, aimed at ensuring an adequate supply of zoned and serviced land to boost housing availability as further practical and achievable actions in the process of tackling of the housing crisis.
Michael Fitzmaurice, Independent Ireland TD for Roscommon-Galway advocated for greater flexibility in planning laws to accommodate modular homes, particularly log cabins. During the Dáil talks, Fitzmaurice highlighted the challenges faced by rural constituents under current planning restrictions. He cited cases where planning applications for log cabins on private land have been rejected due to stringent local authority rules, often limiting such builds to areas near forests. “We’re in a housing crisis, and yet hardworking people trying to build low-impact homes like log cabins are hitting a brick wall,” he remarked.
Fitzmaurice urged the government to ensure that the proposed exemptions are practical and accessible, particularly in rural counties like Roscommon and Galway. His contributions echoed earlier calls he made in 2023, during a Rural Independents’ motion on rural housing, where he pushed for a review of planning guidelines to include modular homes like log cabins. Today, he reiterated that clear policy changes could empower rural families to stay rooted in their communities, reducing urban migration pressures.
Fitzmaurice also said in relation to housing: “If a builder had done 100 houses in the private sector, and hadn’t done a state job in the last three years, they cannot tender. That’s total madness within the department. You could be building 100 private houses, and you still could not tender for a public job.” He also called for more funding given to local authorities for council housing renovation and implementing sewerage and water projects.
Log Cabins as Modular Homes
Log cabins, often categorised as modular homes due to their prefabricated construction, have gained traction in Ireland as a viable housing alternative. Today’s Dáil debate acknowledged this trend, with log cabins frequently cited as an example of the type of modular home that could benefit from relaxed planning rules.
However, concerns were raised about enforcement and quality control. Sinn Féin’s Eoin Ó Broin warned that without safeguards, exemptions could lead to “unscrupulous landlords” exploiting the system to cram renters into substandard cabins. Fitzmaurice countered this by stressing the need for balanced regulations that prioritise genuine family use over commercial exploitation, a sentiment that found support among some government TDs.
Changes in Planning and Legislation
The proposal to exempt free-standing modular homes from planning permission builds on recent legislative efforts to modernise Ireland’s planning system. The Planning and Development Act 2024, passed late last year, introduced statutory timelines for planning decisions and restructured An Bord Pleanála into An Coimisiún Pleanála, aiming to reduce delays and litigation that have long hampered housing projects. Yesterday’s discussion positioned the modular homes reform as a complementary measure, leveraging these changes to fast-track alternative housing options.
Additionally, the government’s exploration of modular homes extends beyond back gardens. In 2024, planning rules were adjusted to allow fast-tracked modular units for Ukrainian refugees, a policy now under consideration for expansion to include international protection applicants and students. This indicates a deliberate move toward embracing modular construction as a flexible solution within Ireland’s housing strategy. Examples like Vancouver and California, where log cabins have effectively addressed housing shortages, have been cited as comparisons. Progress Ireland, an independent think tank, estimates that policies promoting these homes could yield up to 350,000 additional residences.
Looking Ahead
Public consultation and interdepartmental submissions are planned to refine the modular homes proposal, ensuring it balances flexibility with oversight. Critics, including Social Democrats’ Rory Hearne, argue that the government should prioritise “genuinely affordable homes” over what they see as temporary fixes like garden cabins. Meanwhile, rural TDs view the reforms as a lifeline for communities struggling to retain younger generations.
