How a Simple Planning Change Could Unlock Thousands of New Homes – Without Building on a Single New Field

At MyCabin.ie, we’ve always believed in making the very most of the space you already have. That’s why the Government’s current consultation on updating Ireland’s Exempted Development Regulations has caught our full attention—because one proposed change could be a game-changer for homeowners, families, and communities across the country.

The Big News: A Possible Green Light for 45 m² Detached Habitable Units

Under the proposal, homeowners could build a detached habitable accommodation unit up to 45 m² in their back garden without having to apply for planning permission—provided it meets building regulations, size limits, and garden space requirements.

That means:

• Multi-generational living made easy – Give elderly parents their own comfortable, private space close to family.
• Support for adult children – Offer young adults independence without the crushing cost of renting or buying.
• Flexible life solutions – Create a quiet home office, a guest house, or a temporary home while your main dwelling is being renovated.
• Housing supply without sprawl – Add much-needed living units without paving over green fields.

At MyCabin.ie, our log cabins are designed with exactly these goals in mind—warm, energy-efficient, fully compliant structures that blend naturally into your garden and enhance your property. With this change, families could make these life-improving additions faster, cheaper, and with far less stress.

Have your say before 26 August 2025: The Government is asking the public to share their views on proposed planning changes, including the new 45 m² garden unit exemption. You can submit your feedback here: https://consult.housing.gov.ie/

Why This Matters for Ireland’s Housing Crisis

• It adds homes in months, not years – No waiting for major housing developments; each garden cabin can be completed quickly.
• It uses existing serviced land – Gardens already have access to utilities and transport links.
• It keeps communities stable – Families can adapt in place rather than moving away from schools, neighbours, and support networks.
• It’s greener – Log cabins are low-impact, sustainable, and energy efficient.

Other Key Benefits in the Proposed Regulations

While the 45 m² rule is huge for homeowners, the consultation also proposes big wins for other sectors:

Domestic

• Clearer attic conversion rules.
• Rooflight and dormer window exemptions for more natural light.
• External insulation wrapping to cut heating bills.
• Easier installation of heat pumps and solar panels, even on sheds or the ground.

Rural

• More flexible farm fencing rules.
• Extra slurry storage capacity to protect water quality.
• Larger animal housing for better welfare.
• Solar on farm buildings with battery storage.

Health & Education

• Larger exempt school extensions and longer use periods for temporary classrooms.
• Faster hospital temporary space during redevelopments.
• More renewable energy capacity for schools and hospitals.

Infrastructure

• More EV charging points, including in apartment blocks and public spaces.
• Emergency works allowed for severe weather response.
• Streamlined upgrades to existing airports, ports, and utilities.

Use Classes Easier change-of-use in main streets and town centres to keep them vibrant

Have Your Say Before 26 August 2025

This is a rare chance to shape a policy that could directly benefit you, your family, and your community. The Government is accepting public submissions until 5pm, Tuesday, 26 August 2025.

How to Make Your Submission – Step by Step

1. Go to the official consultation page on the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage website. https://consult.housing.gov.ie/
2. Register or log in to the consultation portal.
3. Select the categories you want to comment on – for most MyCabin.ie customers, “Domestic Exemptions” will be the key section.
4. Write your support for the 45 m² detached unit rule, explaining the benefits for multi-generational living, housing supply, and sustainability.
5. Add comments on other categories if relevant to you (e.g., energy upgrades, rural economy, education, infrastructure).
6. Keep it short and clear – the Department values concise, focused points.
7. Submit before the deadline and save your confirmation.

Sample Domestic Exemptions Submission Texts

(These are examples only. Please personalise your submission to reflect your own circumstances and views. Identical copy-and-paste responses are less impactful.)

Option 1 – Multi-Generational Living Focus

I strongly support the proposed exemption for a detached habitable accommodation unit up to 45 m² within the curtilage of a dwelling.
This would allow families to provide independent living for elderly relatives, support adult children struggling to access affordable housing, and create flexible space for life changes without moving.

Using existing serviced land is the most sustainable, cost-effective way to increase housing supply. It reduces pressure on the housing market, avoids greenfield development, and strengthens community ties.

With appropriate safeguards—size limits, retained garden space, and building regulation compliance—this change will deliver real homes for real people in months, not years.

Option 2 – Housing Supply & Sustainability Focus

The 45 m² detached habitable unit exemption is a practical, low-impact way to address Ireland’s housing shortage.
Garden accommodation units can be delivered quickly, are more affordable than new builds, and make use of existing infrastructure.

If designed to meet modern building regulations, they can be highly energy-efficient, cutting household energy bills and contributing to climate targets.

This measure also supports more sustainable communities by enabling ageing in place, reducing commuting, and avoiding unnecessary relocation.

Option 3 – Broad Domestic Exemption Support

I support the proposed domestic exemptions, especially:

• Detached habitable units up to 45 m² for flexible family living.
• Clearer attic conversion and rooflight rules to improve light and space.
• External insulation wrapping, heat pumps, and solar panels on sheds/garages to cut energy bills and emissions.
• Practical front-of-house additions like bike/bin storage and water butts to encourage sustainable habits.

These changes balance flexibility for homeowners with safeguards for residential amenity, reduce pressure on planning authorities, and help deliver climate and housing goals simultaneously.

At MyCabin.ie, we see this as a step towards a smarter, more flexible Ireland—one where families can adapt their living spaces without needless delay, and where housing solutions are sustainable, affordable, and right where they’re needed most.

If you’d like advice on designing a compliant 45 m² log cabin for your property, our team is here to help you plan ahead—so when these changes come in, you’ll be ready to build.

At MyCabin.ie, we specialize in comfortable, well insulated home offices and workshops. Whilst working from home may not be feasible for everyone, it is becoming an increasingly attractive alternative for many to the daily commute. We supply top quality buildings, suitable for many uses, be it a home office, or as a base for your own business.

Arriving into work after a stressful commute and spending the afternoon wondering if you’ll get out ahead of the traffic or stuck in a jam are distractions that aren’t conducive to a productive day’s work.

Why not have a chat with your boss to explore the possibility of doing some of your work from home. Here’s some of the benefits to help convince them –

Why not talk to us today about getting your own home office. We have fantastic off the shelf models as well as providing a bespoke design service for a tailored solution to your requirements. We also offer a full turnkey option.

Call us on 01 564 1964 or drop us a line on form below for further information, specification and prices.

We look forward to hearing from you!

NOTE:

The red areas in illustration below show critical locations in terms of safety. Glazing areas numbered 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and
10 should be in accordance with the recommendations of BS 6262, Part 4.

Here’s what you need to know about glazing for your log cabin.

Wondering what kind of glazing you need for your log cabin? Confused about window thickness, double or single glazing etc.? Don’t want to be sold something you don’t really need?

If you don’t want the wool pulled over your eyes, then rest easy. Here is a clear and concise guide to make sure you get what you need and more importantly, you don’t pay over the odds.

Here at MyCabin.ie, we like to give all the information you need so you can make an informed decision. You can use this information to shop around, to compare us with the rest of the market. If and when you are ready to go and want to do it right, come and talk to us.

Things to consider

1. Is the cabin just for storage? If it is just for storage, standard 24mm cavity double glazing is just the job. All of our garden rooms come with these as standard.
2. What about day use only? If just using for occasional day use, particularly during the summer, then our standard 24mm windows would again be sufficient for your needs. We would recommend in this case that you insulate the roof at this point. It will keep the cabin cool in the summer and not overheat like an uninsulated shed.
3. Year-round day use? If you are going to use your cabin for day use all year round, you should seriously consider upgrading to Premium windows and doors. Our Premium range are 24mm cavity double glazing. They provide fantastic insulating properties. Roof insulation is required if you are using the cabin in the winter. You don’t want to be cold or have to endure higher than necessary heating bills, so installing Premium standard windows are recommended. At this specification, you will retain your heat for far longer, meaning lower heating bills throughout the lifetime of your cabin.
4. How about residential use? Have you ever lived in a cold house? Resented spending a fortune on heating the sky due to poor insulation? For year-round residential use, you really need to go with roof, wall and floor insulation and Premium windows and doors. Whilst this may increase the initial outlay, the reductions you make in heating bills over the lifetime of your home will save you thousands of euro. In effect, you are future-proofing your monthly outgoings.

Don’t be oversold:

Nobody likes being sold something they don’t need. Here at MyCabin.ie, we will be the first to tell you what you don’t need. If you don’t need it, we won’t sell it to you.

By law, all glazing below 800mm from floor level and within 300mm of a door and up to 1500mm from the floor, must be of toughened glass. Regardless of their position, ALL our windows and doors use toughened glass.

With an increase in suppliers of log cabins in Ireland, how do you know who is genuine and who is not? Well here is a handy way to spot those who are not;

Ask them if their glazing uses toughened glass.

Toughened glass must have a seal etched into a corner of the glass. If they say it’s toughened glass, check their display models. If the etched seal is not visible, it is not toughened glass and the supplier is just telling you what you want to hear, not what you need to know. At this stage, you should walk away.

At MyCabin.ie, our motto is ‘Quality Delivered’, talk to us today if you want the job done right.

What about for residential use?

Any building that is to be used as a residence, regardless of size or material, planning permission would officially be required. There are 3 types of planning permission –

• Outline planning permission – Apply to the local planning authority to check the feasibility of qualifying for full planning permission/ to see the likelihood of a successful application.
• Full (also known as Consequent) planning permission – The process for gaining permission to commence building works. The process takes 8 weeks to get an initial approval/refusal notice, followed by an appeals period. The fee for standalone buildings is €65.00 and €34.00 for extensions. Full planning permission, if granted, remains valid for 5 years. If planning permission is refused, appeals can be made to An Bord Pleanála.
• Retention permission – The process to retain a structure that was constructed without planning permission or not built in accordance with the permission that was granted.

What if I build without planning permission?

With the current housing and rental crisis affecting thousands of families up and down the country, many people decide to find their own solutions and build without planning permission, particularly in back gardens or on family properties, where they won’t be generally visible.

There is a risk in doing this, where a complaint is made for example. The local planning authority may intercede and may require removal of the building or some other kind of enforcement action.

Your options at this stage could be to apply for Retention Permission or to appeal the decision to An Bord Pleanála.

If no approach has been made in relation to your structure within 7 years, you are then exempt from any enforcement action on the building thereafter, as it then stands.

This information is not a definitive guide to planning laws and all planning authorities also have their own local rules to consider. So here are a few tips to help you on your next steps:

• Pay a visit to our show site in Blessington, Co. Wicklow. We can help clarify any queries you may have as well as show you around our fantastic range of garden rooms and residential cabins.
• Do your research, there is plenty of information on local councils’ websites and on citizensinformation.ie or http://www.dublincity.ie/main-menu-services-planning/frequently-asked-questions-planning etc. (Most of the information herein was sourced from these websites).
• If you want to see what the chances of success are for a formal application for planning permission, apply for outline planning permission first.
• If you are going for planning permission, refer to the structure as a Timber Framed Building, rather than a Log Cabin. Some people just don’t get the great benefits of log cabins; environmental, financial etc. Because log cabins are made from timber, technically they are also timber framed structures, which is a more widely understood construction method.
• Get a good architect who knows the local planners and local area development plan, they can greatly increase the chances of your application being successful. We are happy to provide them with our technical drawings (free of charge) to assist them in preparing your application.

If you have any queries or need assistance getting your project past the ‘wish list’ stage, please don’t hesitate in contacting us, we are here to help.

Good luck with your plans!!