December 2025 marks end of year celebrating Irish Planning Institute's 50th anniversary since founding in 1975 whilst also seeing the conclusion of the current Council term with a range of governance changes including the election of a reshaped Board of Directors. Gavin Lawlor, completing two year term as IPI President and Director at Tom Phillips Associates with extensive experience in development plans, quarrying, wind farms and Bord Pleanála oral hearings, alongside Philip Jones, past IPI President serving 26 and a quarter years on Council including seven Presidents as Honorary Secretary with 41 year public sector career from Waterford City Council through Kildare County Council to Bord Pleanála senior planning inspector, assistant director and board member, explain why the housing crisis narrative unfairly scapegoats planners whilst media seeks opposing views rather than balanced explanations. They also discuss how the 2024 Planning and Development Act 2024 requires practical stress testing with practitioners – the planners who have to implement the new legislation, and who are represented by the IPI - before Regulations commence, thereby avoiding history repeating itself with amendments before proper enactment. Internally within the Institute, they outline how governance changes, modernising its original 1982 structure, has represented a Herculean task. They also discuss some significant resourcing achievements during the last two years, including securing planners on the Government’s critical skills list and successfully removing a 2011 Departmental circular that required experienced planners to start at the bottom of local authority salary grades. With expertise spanning development control, climate change adaptation, flood plains zoning restrictions and relationship maturation between IPI and RTPI establishing proper respect for Irish planners' capabilities, the discussion covers the Grafton Street pedestrianisation campaign against major stores and roads department opposition, the Flood Tribunal era demonstrating that no planners were identified for corruption, unlike councillors and senior administrators, and why climate change represents the single biggest challenge beyond housing. QUOTES “It's down to housing, housing and more housing and everything that facilitates or interferes with the ability to be able to deliver housing”. - Gavin Lawlor “Planning is social, there's a bit of geography in it and everybody has an opinion about where they live. Everybody has a pair of eyes and a pair of ears and a very large mouth that they can use to express their views and they're entitled to do so.” - Gavin Lawlor “We don't have a vested interest as planners, we just want the planning system to work for our citizens rather than for certain stakeholders who have vested interests and are currently knocking on the doors of Government.”- Philip Jones “People coming onto the Board of the IPI will be able to give something back – after all it is a profession - and they should support their own profession, and contribute their views and perspectives, whatever they may be, to the future development of the Institute”. - Philip Jones “The biggest challenge out there isn’t housing, it isn’t resourcing, it’s climate change, and planners have a huge role to play in that. Planning can really make a difference. Into the future” - Philip Jones About the Guests Philip Jones FIPI studied Geography at TCD at Bachelor’s level, before going on to the Masters in Regional and Urban Planning in UCD. Across his career, he worked in local government for 19 years and in An Bord Pleanála for 21 years. A Corporate Member since 1983, and a Fellow since 2008, he joined the Council of the Irish Planning Institute in 1986, serving as a co-opted member until 1989, after which he was elected on many occasions. He has served as Hon. Secretary to no less than seven IPI Presidents, and was himself elected President for a two-year term from 1999 to 2001. Most recently he is serving as Hon. Secretary from January 2024 to December 2025. Gavin Lawlor MIPI is President of the Irish Planning Institute 2024-2025. Gavin has worked in planning for almost 30 years and is a Director at Tom Phillips + Associates. Gavin's expertise covers a wide range of areas and he has extensive knowledge across the industrial, energy and waste management sectors. He obtained a Masters in Regional and Urban Planning from UCD having graduated with a Bachelors degree in Social Science at the Belfield Campus. Connect with the Irish Planning Institute: Website: ipi.iePodfollow: podfollow.com/ipiSearch podcast player: "IPI Planners Podcast" PODCAST HOST DETAILS Dr. Sean O'Leary MIPI is a highly respected Senior Planner at the Irish Planning Institute (IPI) and a key voice in the field of Irish planning. With extensive experience and a deep understanding of planning policy and practice, Dr. O'Leary brings a wealth of knowledge to "The Planners' Podcast." Professionals and enthusiasts alike seek to navigate the complexities of urban and rural development in Ireland. As a member of the Irish Planning Institute (MIPI), Dr. O'Leary demonstrates a commitment to the highest standards of the planning profession. Find out more: https://ipi.ie/ ABOUT THE IRISH PLANNING INSTITUTE The Irish Planning Institute (IPI) is the all-island professional body for planners in Ireland, dedicated to advancing the field of physical, spatial, and environmental planning for the common good. Established in 1975, the IPI plays a vital role in shaping sustainable development across both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Through its diverse membership, which includes professionals from public, private, and academic sectors, the IPI offers a unified voice on critical planning issues. Find out more: https://ipi.ie/ The Planners Podcast is produced for IPI by dustpod.io KEYWORDS #IrishPlanningInstitute #PlanningProfession #HousingCrisis #ClimateChangePlanning #GovernanceReform
