Minister O’Brien welcomes support of regulations to assist restaurants and cafés The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien TD, has welcomed the support of regulations to assist restaurants and cafés at the Oireachtas Committee today. The two sets of regulations which received cross party support include the Planning and Development Act 2000 (Exempted Development) (No. 3) Regulations 2021, which concerns planning exemptions for restaurants to operate as takeaways for the remainder of 2021, and the Planning and Development (Street Furniture Fees) Regulations 2021 which waive the section 254 street furniture license fees for the remainder of 2021 for tables and chairs associated with outdoor diningut.
A third set of Regulations, which do not require the approval of both Houses of the Oireachtas, are being progressed simultaneously and provide for the erection of awnings, coverings and other similar apparatus for outdoor dining to be a licenced activity under section 254 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, when it is linked with a street furniture licence for tables and chairs under that section.