The change makes town planning officers who are non-EEA nationals from outside of Europe eligible for critical skills employment permits, making it easier for Irish employers to recruit and retain international talent in the sector.

The move follows the publication last week of the government’s implementation plan for the Planning and Development Act 2024.

John Cummins, minister of state for planning and local government, said: “This government recognises that the demands on the planning system have grown significantly in recent times and continues to grow.

“The planning system underpins the delivery of many public policy, societal, economic and environmental objectives in Ireland.

“If we are to accelerate homebuilding to the levels we need and deliver on other critical government objectives such as infrastructure delivery, we need to ensure that the planning system is equipped to respond. The significant changes in our new planning legislation will contribute to creating the right environment to provide the additional homes we need.

“With the implementation of our new Planning Act now underway, it is crucial that we have the right people and resources in place to ensure we maximise the benefits of the new legislation.

“As organisations have scaled-up to meet statutory mandates and industry demand, it is acknowledged that recruitment of skilled staff has become a key issue. Ensuring we have a well-resourced and efficient planning system is vital for Ireland’s future.

“By adding this key profession to the critical skills occupations list, we are taking a decisive step to address planning resource shortages and reinforce the capacity of our planning system to meet current and future needs.”