Eviction Ban Ruled Out as Housing Minister Signals Easing of Rural Planning Rules.
Ireland’s rural planning rules are set to be relaxed under new housing guidelines due to be published within weeks, according to Housing Minister Mr James Browne TD. The Minister said the updated guidelines aim to make it easier for people to build homes in rural communities, while also creating greater consistency in planning decisions nationwide.
Speaking during a visit to social housing projects in Donegal, Mr Browne said the Government is committed to reducing restrictions on rural housing development across the country. He added that the new framework would provide a more balanced and predictable approach for rural applicants.
The Minister also rejected renewed opposition calls for an eviction ban, following a sharp rise in eviction notices during the opening months of 2026. Recent figures from the Residential Tenancies Board showed more than 7,000 notices of termination were issued in the first quarter of the year; a rise of roughly 50% compared with the same period in 2025.
Mr Browne argued that previous eviction bans damaged rental supply and insisted the Government’s focus must remain on increasing housing availability. He pointed to signs that termination notices began to decline in March, with expectations of a further drop in April.
The minister said reforms introduced earlier this year are intended to strengthen protections for renters while encouraging more long-term participation in the rental market. Updated RTB figures also showed a modest increase in the number of landlords and registered tenancies nationwide.
Tipperary County Council’s decision to approve the demolition of the 52 unfinished houses at Ballypadeen near Cashel has reignited debate about planning, dereliction, and the wider housing crisis. While many people understandably see the structures as potential homes, the reality behind the site is far more complicated.
The partially completed houses have stood idle for almost two decades overlooking the Rock of Cashel after construction stopped in 2007. Originally approved during the Celtic Tiger era, the development was never intended to function as a standard residential estate. Planning permission was granted for tourism accommodation linked to a large hotel and leisure complex that was never built.
According to Tipperary County Council, the site sits on unzoned and unserviced land outside the Cashel settlement boundary, placing it in conflict with current planning policy. Independent engineering and technical assessments commissioned as part of the process concluded that the structures contained significant defects and that restoring them for long-term residential use would not be financially viable.
The council has also confirmed that the demolition forms part of a legally binding mediated settlement between the local authority and the landowner following years of legal disputes connected to the development.
Public frustration is understandable given Ireland’s ongoing housing shortage. Critics, including local representatives and members of the public, have argued that demolishing 52 partially completed houses during a housing crisis appears counterproductive. However, the issue is not simply about unfinished houses being left unused. The core problem is that the development was approved under a tourism model tied to infrastructure and zoning conditions that never materialised.
What is also important to note is that despite the national attention the site has received, the houses are not visible when entering or leaving Cashel itself. The development sits outside the town and is largely hidden from the main approach roads, contrary to some impressions created online and in wider media coverage.
The council says the demolition will help address long-term dereliction and protect the visual setting surrounding the Rock of Cashel, one of Ireland’s most historically important landmarks.
Ultimately, Ballypadeen has become a symbol of wider failures in Irish planning and development during the boom years. The debate now is not only about whether these buildings should remain standing, but how developments like this were ever allowed to reach such a stage without proper long-term oversight, infrastructure, or viable planning foundations in place.
“Though the mills of God grind slowly, Yet they grind exceeding small, Though with patience He stands waiting, With exactness grinds He all.”
[Extract from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s poem “Retribution”; the lines meaning that God’s judgment or moral justice does not happen quickly. Wrongdoers may seem to escape consequences for a long time. But when justice finally comes, it is thorough and precise. ]
Nothing escapes accountability. For over a decade the people of Thurles have been subjected to political spin and conflicting claims regarding the so-called Thurles Inner Relief Road. What was once presented as an urgent infrastructure priority now appears increasingly unlikely to begin construction before 2028, despite repeated assurances from politicians that funding had already been secured years ago.
Figure 4, pictured above as stated, was ‘annotated by writer‘, meaning that notes were added to the diagram, giving explanation or comment. Same annotation was not supplied by Tipperary Co. Council.
Even more remarkably, recent political statements from other quarters have continued to portray the project as somehow newly “secured” or “advanced”, despite those earlier promises. The people of Thurles are now being asked to believe that funding was secured in 2021, land acquisition was the breakthrough in 2024, government commitments were obtained again in 2025, and yet construction still cannot realistically begin before 2028. None of this adds up.
The facts tell a very different story. Tipperary County Council’s own 2025 Service Delivery Plan confirms that the project still remained at Department appraisal and detailed design stage, not construction stage. Earlier reports showed that only modest sums such as €75,000 and later €100,000 had been allocated for planning and design-related work. That is not what a shovel-ready infrastructure project looks like.
Meanwhile, the town itself continues to choke under worsening traffic congestion, while politicians repeatedly issue triumphant press releases claiming “progress”.
But the greatest disgrace surrounding this project is not merely the delay. It is the destruction and dismissal of Thurles heritage, [See HERE page 6], in pursuit of a road many residents believe will never adequately solve the town’s traffic crisis in the first place.
The proposed route, shown on the map above, cuts through the historic Great Famine “Double Ditch”, a rare surviving famine-era landscape feature, known locally to date from the 1846. This historic pathway, associated with famine relief works, was effectively treated as expendable. Despite its historical significance to many in Thurles, archaeological assessments failed to properly recognise or protect it. Campaigners repeatedly warned that a unique part of Thurles history was being sacrificed for a project whose actual traffic benefits remain questionable.
What makes the situation even more infuriating is that Thurles still does not have the bypass it has needed for generations. The town’s medieval street layout continues to carry modern heavy traffic because successive governments failed to prioritise a proper outer bypass solution. Instead, taxpayers are expected to fund an “Inner Relief Road” which many believe will simply shift congestion from one bottleneck to another, while permanently damaging part of the town’s heritage.
For years the public has been bombarded with photographs, announcements, consultations, launches, and declarations of “fantastic news”, yet the basic reality never changes. The project drifts endlessly between planning, appraisal, land acquisition, consultation, and redesign, while local politicians compete to claim ownership of it.
At this stage, many residents no longer trust a word of it. If funding was truly secured years ago, where is the road? If construction was imminent, why is detailed design still ongoing? If this project is so transformational, why has the timeline repeatedly slipped further and further into the future?
The people of Thurles deserve honesty instead of political theatre. They deserve real infrastructure instead of endless press releases. Most importantly, they deserve a serious long-term bypass solution rather than another decade of delay, confusion, and public relations exercises masquerading as progress.
Application Ref: 2660408. Applicant: Cappanilly Services Ltd. Development Address: No. 61 Liberty Square, Thurles, Co. Tipperary. Development Description: the following; (a) Material change of use of ground floor of the premises from a shop to a coffee shop, (b) to retain as constructed alteration to the building façade and development of a new shopfront with all associated and ancillary sitework. Status: N/A. Application Received: 07/05/2026. Decision Date: N/A. Further Details: http://www.eplanning.ie/TipperaryCC/AppFileRefDetails/2660408/0.
Application Ref: 2660405. Applicant: Bernard O’Mahony. Development Address: Corbally, Thurles, Co. Tipperary. Development Description: the as constructed extensions to sides of existing dwelling together with PERMISSION for construction of detached domestic garage together with all associated incidental and site works. Status: N/A. Application Received: 06/05/2026. Decision Date: N/A. Further Details:http://www.eplanning.ie/TipperaryCC/AppFileRefDetails/2660405/0.
Application Ref: 2660258. Applicant: Kevin O’Regan. Development Address: Coolkennedy, Thurles, Co. Tipperary. Development Description: a livestock shed with an underground slatted storage tank and all associated site works. Status: Conditional. Application Received: 24/03/2026. Decision Date: 06/05/2026. Further Details:http://www.eplanning.ie/TipperaryCC/AppFileRefDetails/2660258/0.
Application Ref: 2660093. Applicant: Patrick Stapleton. Development Address: No.3 Collins Park, Thurles, Co. Tipperary. Development Description: the demolition of an existing shed to the rear of the dwelling and permission to construct a new extension to the rear of the dwelling with all associated site works. Status: Conditional. Application Received: 06/02/2026. Decision Date: 05/05/2026. Further Details:http://www.eplanning.ie/TipperaryCC/AppFileRefDetails/2660093/0.
Application Ref: 2561285. Applicant: Donal Commins & Laura Jane Dee. Development Address: Wrensborough, Drish, Thurles. Development Description: construction of a dwelling house, entrance, effluent treatment system together with all associated site works together with all associated site works. Status: Conditional. Application Received: 12/12/2025. Decision Date: 08/05/2026. Further Details:http://www.eplanning.ie/TipperaryCC/AppFileRefDetails/2561285/0.
Electricity emissions fell as the national grid became coal-free in June 2025 and net electricity imports continued to rise. However, with limited additional renewable capacity being added this leaves Ireland unnecessarily dependent on imported fossil fuels and exposed to global energy shocks, Climate Change Advisory Council Annual Review reveals.
Mr Alex White.
Ongoing instability in global energy markets continues to expose Ireland to fossil fuel price volatility and supply risks. This reinforces the importance and urgency of Government delivering on their Programme for Government commitment to end Ireland’s reliance on fossil fuels, by accelerating the transition to secure, domestically generated renewable electricity.
The Council warns that Ireland’s electricity system is failing to keep pace with the energy transition. Around 10% of available renewable electricity could not be used last year due to grid constraints and curtailment, the highest rate since records began in 2016. In addition, just 0.8GW of new wind and solar capacity was added, far below the approximately 2GW now needed every year to meet 2030 Climate Action Plan targets. The Council warns that this slow pace of renewable delivery and grid reinforcement is leaving Ireland unnecessarily dependent on imported fossil fuels and exposed to global energy shocks, including market volatility linked to conflict in the Middle East.
The Council is calling for urgent action to accelerate renewable electricity delivery, particularly onshore wind and solar. It says the Critical Infrastructure Bill must designate electricity grid reinforcement projects for prioritised delivery – with clear timelines, accountability and transparency – and must not remove the climate obligations that apply to all public bodies under Irish law. The Council also says Regional Renewable Energy Strategies, which translate national targets into county-level plans, must be adopted by the end of 2026.
Ireland now has the highest household electricity prices in the European Union with 319,000 households in arrears on their electricity bills. This underlines the need for targeted energy supports for households most exposed to energy poverty, rather than relying on broad subsidies that do not address the underlying causes of high energy costs.
Although early data indicates that electricity emissions fell by approximately 8.9% in 2025, the Review finds that the underlying risks remain significant. Net electricity imports accounted for 17.3% of supply in 2025, while data centre electricity demand has grown from 5% to more than 20% since 2015.
Renewable electricity is already helping to protect Irish households and businesses by reducing wholesale electricity prices. In 2025, Ireland had the second highest prices in Western Europe. However, prices in March 2026 fell to an average of €94/MWh on the days with the most wind energy and doubling to €179/MWh when the system was forced to rely on expensive imported fossil fuels. These figures show the direct link between renewable electricity, energy affordability and fossil fuel dependence. Strengthening Ireland’s electricity infrastructure and accelerating renewable energy delivery are essential to reducing wasted renewable electricity and tackling the underlying causes of high and volatile energy costs.
The report also warns that Ireland’s electricity system must be better prepared for extreme weather. Storm Éowyn left 768,000 customers without power – with some homes off the grid for 18 days – and triggered failures across water supply, telecommunications and health services. The Council says electricity resilience must now be treated as a core element of national climate adaptation planning, with investment in backup power solutions and electricity infrastructure needed to ensure the Electricity sector can better withstand future extreme weather events.
Mr Alex White, Chairperson of the Climate Change Advisory Council, said: “We know renewable energy helps to reduce wholesale electricity prices, but Irish households and businesses will not feel the full benefit unless we build the grid, storage and capacity needed to use that power. Every year of delay leaves Ireland more exposed to imported fossil fuels, volatile global markets and avoidable costs. Storm Éowyn showed how vulnerable our electricity system, essential services and communities remain to extreme weather. Electricity resilience must be central to national climate adaptation planning, with clear responsibility, investment and delivery.” The Government has set the right ambition to end Ireland’s reliance on fossil fuels. The test now is delivery. Critical grid projects must be prioritised, renewable planning must be accelerated, and the benefits of clean electricity must reach Irish households and business to ensure energy security and affordability for all.”
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