A mandatory time-frame for appeals and a name change are among the proposed changes.
Legislation to overhaul the country's planning system will be going before Cabinet.
The Planning and Development Bill will aim to tackle the backlog of cases stuck in an appeals process with An Bord Pleanála, the name of which would be changed to An Comisiún Pleanála in the reform.
Among the other changes will be a mandatory timeline of 18 to 48 weeks for appeals, and those seeking to challenge a decision will have had to exhaust all available procedures before taking a court case.
Laois Offaly Fianna Fáil TD Barry Cowen has been speaking to Midlands 103's Kamron Clarke, and says while he's satisfied the plans are making progress, he would have liked to see the legislation forwarded sooner:
Cabinet has approved legislation which will see sweeping changes to Ireland's planning laws.
The Planning and Development Bill will see local authorities move to ten year development plans with a review after five years.
An Bord Pleanala is to be restructured and renamed An Coimisiún Pleanala.
While changes will see people required to pay to submit a judicial review on a planning decision, and a legal costs scheme to reimburse those costs on a means tested basis.
The plans to block residents' associations from submitting judicial reviews have been dropped, which Westmeath Green Party Councillor Hazel Smyth is welcoming:
Housing Minister Darragh O'Brien says the move will futureproof planning legislation for up to a quarter of a century:
Suggestions new planning laws are being rushed are laughable, according to the Housing Minister.
He has rejected criticism from some Sinn Féin TDs that this legislation is coming too quickly:
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