RIAI emphasises changes to planning and design standards must not compromise long-term residential quality
The RIAI has submitted a response to the public consultation on the Draft National Planning Statement on Planning Design Standards for Apartments (2026), published by James Browne TD, Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, and John Cummins TD, Minister of State for Local Government and Planning.
The submission welcomes the Government's objective of significantly increasing apartment delivery and acknowledges the challenges currently affecting the sector. The RIAI supports greater flexibility in apartment design standards where such measures can demonstrably improve housing supply, encourage innovation, increase delivery efficiency and enhance project viability.
The response emphasises that any changes to planning and design standards must not compromise long-term residential quality, accessibility, environmental performance, adaptability or liveability. The RIAI's position is that increased housing delivery and high-quality design are complementary objectives that should be pursued together.
The submission makes recommendations across five priority areas:
- Maintain quality while allowing greater flexibility
- Recognise existing buildings as a major housing resource
- Improve viability through improved planning certainty and digital planning
- Ensuring universal design and accessibility are not compromised
- Ensure professional design oversight
