Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 23 June 2020
897. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government his plans to review the planning regulations governing nursing homes in view of the Covid-19 pandemic and the high death rate among residents of such homes; and his further plans to include in this review nursing home developments that have planning permission but that have not commenced construction. [12270/20]
View answerThe regulation of, and oversight of the operation of, nursing homes, is a matter for the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA), and is not a matter in which I, in my role as Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government, have any statutory function.
My Department does not collate planning statistics regarding the number of nursing homes in the planning process in individual counties in Ireland. However, planning authorities compile planning statistics annually for collation and publication on my Department’s website: https://www.housing.gov.ie/planning/statistics/planning-statistics-1.
The statistics published relate to the total number of applications and decisions for all developments that require planning permission, broken down by year and planning authority but not by development type. Such information may be sought directly from the relevant planning authority.
In addition, the Central Statistics Office (CSO), as the national statistical office, compiles and makes available detailed data on a number of housing related issues including permissions granted and completions by development type and county. Data is available at the following link on the CSO website: https://www.cso.ie/en/statistics/construction/planningpermissions/.
With regard to the commencement and completion of development works on nursing homes, it is the responsibility of the developer who has been granted planning permission to complete the development within the approved period or the permission will expire, unless an application for extension of duration of the development is approved by the relevant planning authority.
