The National Planning Framework is a long term national-level strategy for the planning and sustainable development of urban and rural areas, with the objectives of securing balanced regional development and a sustainable ‘compact growth’ approach to the form and pattern of future development.
The National Planning Framework recognises that continued investment in Dublin and the east is critical to support the future growth of Dublin as an international city of scale in the national interest, but that this needs to be supported by a more balanced distribution of growth across all of Ireland’s regions. For this reason, a target was set of achieving more regionally balanced population growth, split roughly 50:50 between the Eastern and Midland Region, and the rest of the Country.
As outlined in the Report that the Deputy refers to, Census 2022 indicated that between 2016 and 2022, growth in the Eastern and Midland region accounted for approximately 56% of national population growth.
Examining the wider context for regional development and growth, data from Census 2022 shows improvement on pre-NPF trends and positive indications that the transition to the NPF 50:50 targets will occur over time.
The National Planning Framework is currently being revised to reflect developments since 2018, with the draft revision to be approved by Government and published for public consultation in due course.
