Housing Mag 2026/27

Housing Ireland magazine

Building for the future Clúid’s Averil Power Who’s who in housing

Housing Ireland Magazine directory

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Promising signs…

Welcome to the 10th edition of Housing Ireland Magazine. Over the decade in which we have produced this annual publication, housing has evolved into arguably the single most important political and policy issue in the State.

Over that time, we have had the privilege of getting to know people across the sector, and there can be no doubt that thousands of people are deeply committed to addressing Ireland’s housing crisis.

2025 brought a new Minister for Housing and a new national housing plan. So far, 2026 has brought some encouraging indicators. Housing output has strengthened, construction activity has accelerated, planning reform is progressing, there is a renewed focus on apartment delivery, and residential property price inflation has moderated.

In June 2026, annual residential property price growth fell to 5.6 per cent, its lowest rate since January 2024. While affordability pressures remain acute, this represents a notable shift in a market characterised by persistent supply constraints.

The Delivering Homes, Building Communities 2025-2030 plan has been criticised for moving away from annual delivery targets. However, alongside the establishment of the Housing Activation Office and a greater focus on unlocking infrastructure constraints, some initial indicators are encouraging.

There were 36,284 new dwellings completed in 2025, up 20.4 per cent on 2024 and the highest annual level since the CSO’s series began in 2011. This momentum has continued into 2026, with 7,856 new dwellings completed in Q1, a 32.9 per cent increase on Q1 2025 and the highest first-quarter total recorded.

Construction activity has also accelerated significantly. Some 13,120 commencement notices were recorded between January and May 2026, a 161 per cent increase on the 5,033 recorded during the same period in 2025. While commencement notices are not equivalent to completed homes, they provide an important indicator of activity further along the delivery pipeline.

As reflected in our cover story with Clúid CEO Averil Power, there is a strong determination across the sector that new homes, across both the social and private sectors, are affordable, fit for purpose over the long term and aligned with Ireland’s climate and energy objectives. Hosted by Bord Gáis Energy, our round table discussion also explores the skills capacity required to meet the State’s housing ambitions.

Unfortunately, 2026 marks the third consecutive year in which an issue of this publication has gone to print with an article entitled ‘record homelessness’. Despite strong economic growth and record employment, the long-term, trajectory of homelessness has continued upwards since official reporting began in 2014.

Temporary reductions during the pandemic and periods of eviction restriction have not reversed the underlying trend. By July 2026, 17,527 people were recorded as living in emergency accommodation.

The statistics therefore provide both reason for optimism and a reminder of the scale of the challenge.

Increasing supply remains essential, but the housing system must also deliver homes that are affordable, well located, energy efficient, and appropriate to the needs of a growing population.

I want to thank everyone who played their part in putting this publication together and, on behalf of my predecessors, thank you for the relationships and contributions that have allowed this vital publication to flourish over the last decade.

We must remain optimistic that, if we all continue to play our part, the term ‘housing crisis’ will eventually be consigned to the dustbin of history.

Joshua Murray 1

Contents HOUSING IRELAND MAGAZINE

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Published by Digital

Events

Publications

Contents

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DHLGH General Secretary Graham Doyle discusses Delivering Homes, Building Communities

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Cover story: Clúid CEO Averil Power discusses why the housing challenge is much bigger than a construction challenge

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Round table discussion: Skills for Ireland’s green future Hosted by

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Fingal County Council: Increasing supply, supporting sustainable development, and creating communities DHLGH Chief Information Officer Mihai Bilauca on unlocking digital transformation across housing and local government Stephanie Elliot from the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations discusses revitalising Scottish social housing

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Garret Doocey, head of the HAO, on enabling the infrastructure necessary for housing delivery Siobhán Nic Thighearnáin from the European Commission on the European Affordable Housing Plan Sinn Féin housing spokesperson Eoin Ó Broin TD: ‘Homelessness is an eminently solvable problem’

Editorial Owen McQuade Joshua Murray Ciaran Brennan Gareth Hamill Fiona McCarthy

Design Gareth Duffy Jamie Hogan Advertising/Commercial Sam Tobin sam.tobin@eolasmagazine.ie

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Karen Kenny from DHLGH on activating housing supply

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Who’s who

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Directory

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Back page: Paddy Gray on the potential of greater collaboration between housing sectors north and south

Publishers eolas Magazine www.eolasmagazine.ie info@eolasmagazine.ie www.housingireland.ie

Office: Clifton House Lower Fitzwilliam Street Dublin 2, D02 XT91 Tel: 01 661 3755

Housing Ireland magazine

Delivering Ireland’s housing plan Graham Doyle, Secretary General at Ireland’s Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, discusses the State’s new housing strategy, Delivering Homes, Building Communities, highlighting both significant recent progress and the scale of the challenge that remains.

Doyle says that while momentum in housing delivery is building, meeting Ireland’s growing demand will require sustained collaboration, increased investment, and continued reform across the sector.

At the centre of this effort is the Government’s new housing plan, Delivering Homes, Building Communities, which aims to build 300,000 new homes over its lifetime to 2030. This includes the delivery of 72,000 social homes and the provision of 90,000 affordable housing supports.

According to Doyle, achieving these targets depends not on any single

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actor, but on a broad coalition of stakeholders. From local authorities and approved housing bodies to planners, developers, and community organisations, he emphasises that “teamwork and collaboration” will be essential to success.

Reflecting on the past five years, Doyle points to an uptick in housing delivery.

Since mid-2020, more than 160,000 new homes have been built across the State. In 2025 alone, housing completions reached approximately

36,000 units; a 20 per cent increase on the previous year and the highest level recorded since official data collection began in 2011.

Social housing delivery has also accelerated significantly. Over 52,000 social homes have been added to the national stock since 2020, representing a substantial increase on previous levels. Notably, new-build social housing has reached levels not seen since the 1970s, with nearly 16,000 units delivered across 2023 and 2024.

Doyle also highlights the impact of initiatives aimed at bringing vacant properties back into use. The Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant has proven particularly popular, attracting over 16,000 applications, with more than 12,000 approvals to date. The Secretary General states that this is an important component of increasing supply in a cost-effective way.

However, Doyle acknowledges that homelessness remains “the single most pressing social issue” facing the state.

While increased social housing supply is a critical part of the solution, he outlines additional measures being implemented in 2025, including a €100 million capital fund to acquire secondhand homes for families in emergency accommodation and the expansion of Housing First tenancies.

Beyond delivery figures, Doyle places strong emphasis on the scale of investment required to sustain housing output. The Government’s updated National Development Plan includes more than €100 billion in capital investment over five years, with over €40 billion allocated specifically to housing and related water infrastructure through to 2030.

Initiatives such as participation in global property investment events are part of this strategy, allowing the State to engage directly with investors and promote the opportunities within Ireland’s residential development sector.

Domestically, structural reforms are also being introduced to accelerate delivery. The establishment of the Housing Activation Office (HAO) represents what Doyle describes as a “radical step change” in coordinating infrastructure and housing development. Bringing together expertise from across government agencies and utilities, the office is tasked with identifying and resolving barriers to construction on key sites.

Complementing this is the creation of a new senior role focused exclusively on housing activation, designed to ensure a constant focus on turning plans into on-the-ground delivery. Doyle characterises this role as one that asks, on a daily basis, what actions are needed to get construction activity moving across the country.

Further support is being provided through a €1 billion Housing Infrastructure Investment Fund, which can be deployed to address critical

gaps in infrastructure funding and unlock stalled developments. Initial projects under this fund are already being assessed, with the intention of accelerating progress on priority sites.

Innovation is another area of focus.

Doyle points to ongoing efforts to expand the use of modern methods of construction, which have the potential to improve productivity, reduce costs, and increase overall capacity within the sector. Government support, he says, is aimed at helping builders adopt new technologies and scale up these approaches.

Housing Ireland magazine

In parallel, affordable housing measures are expanding. By the third quarter of 2025, almost 19,000 affordable housing supports had been delivered through a combination of schemes, including local authority programmes, The Land Development Agency, and the First Home Scheme. Nearly 6,000 of these supports were delivered in the first nine months of 2025 alone, representing 93 per cent of that year’s target at that point.

Despite this, Doyle stresses that public funding alone will not be sufficient.

Ireland is estimated to require approximately €20 billion in development finance annually to meet its housing targets. Securing this level of investment in a competitive global market is a significant challenge, and Doyle confirms that efforts are ongoing to position Ireland as an attractive destination for international capital.

While much of the discussion centres on supply, Doyle reiterates that housing policy must also prioritise people.

Supporting vulnerable households, preventing homelessness, and ensuring access to secure and affordable homes remain fundamental objectives.

Looking ahead, Doyle maintains a cautiously optimistic tone. He acknowledges the “significant challenges” that remain but points to the growing momentum within the sector as a reason for confidence.

“There is energy across the system,” he suggests, and harnessing that energy will be key to increasing both the pace and scale of delivery.

Concluding, the Secretary General states that sustained collaboration, continued investment, and a relentless focus on delivery are vital. Only through these combined efforts, he argues, can Ireland meet its housing needs and build communities that are both sustainable and inclusive.

“This is the largest ever level of state investment in housing,” Doyle says, adding that infrastructure provision, particularly water services, will be key to unlocking development and removing bottlenecks.

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Housing Ireland magazine

Building for the future

cover story

Clúid CEO Averil Power talks to Housing Ireland Magazine to explore why Ireland’s housing challenge is about more than construction, why public trust and long-term stewardship matter, and how stronger partnerships between public and non-profit providers can help deliver thriving communities for generations.

Ireland’s housing debate often focuses on one question: how many homes can we build, and how quickly?

Power believes the success of housing policy should not be measured solely by annual delivery targets.

opportunity, and sense of belonging that a good home and strong community can provide.

For Averil Power, Chief Executive of Clúid, that is only part of the story.

“The real test of housing policy is not what we build this year. It is what those neighbourhoods look like 20 years from now.”

“I know the lifeline that social housing provides to families who cannot afford high quality housing otherwise. That had a massive impact on my upbringing, on the opportunities I had as a young person, and on the doors that opened for me as a result.”

“Ireland’s housing challenge is much bigger than a construction challenge,” she says. “Yes, we need to build far more homes. But we also need organisations capable of managing those homes, supporting residents, and sustaining communities for decades to come.”

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It is a perspective shaped by both personal experience and professional expertise.

Having grown up in a council estate in Shankill, south Dublin, Power experienced first hand the stability,

The experience continues to shape her approach to housing today.

“A secure home is the anchor for everything else: education, employment, health, and participation in community life.”

Power says she is acutely conscious that many families do not currently enjoy that same stability.

“I am very grateful for the opportunities that I and my family had, but I am conscious of the number of families now who do not have that.”

Bringing different perspectives together Power’s understanding of housing has also been shaped by a career spanning politics, government, and the charitable sector.

Before joining Clúid in November 2025, she served as a ministerial adviser across multiple government departments, was elected to Seanad Éireann, and later led both the Asthma Society of Ireland and the Irish Cancer Society.

“I have seen the difficult decisions that ministers and officials have to make, the competing demands on public resources, and the challenges involved in translating policy into action.”

That experience, she believes, gives her a unique perspective.

“My role is to bring lived experience, political insight, and organisational leadership together to help Clúid and the wider sector do more.”

“It is really exciting to come into an organisation with such a strong track record and strong capabilities and to work with our team and partners to help Clúid make an even bigger contribution.”

Power’s experience in government has also shaped her understanding of accountability.

Having worked at the heart of public policy and spending decisions, she is acutely conscious of the responsibility that comes with managing significant public investment.

“I am very conscious, as CEO of Clúid, of the public trust being placed in us and of the level of public resources we are entrusted with. It is very important to me personally that we are accountable for that, that we do what we say we will, and that we deliver value for money.”

For Power, accountability extends far beyond financial performance. It means maintaining homes to a high standard, supporting residents, investing in communities, and ensuring every euro delivers the greatest possible long-term benefit.

“I want to make sure we are worthy of that trust, that we deliver what we promise, and that we deliver excellence in everything we do.”

She notes that AHBs have significant responsibilities to residents, lenders and the State, and operate within a framework of regulatory oversight.

In addition to regulation by the Residential Tenancies Board, AHBs are subject to oversight by the Approved Housing Bodies Regulatory Authority (AHBRA), which monitors areas including governance, financial viability, and service standards.

This oversight is an important part of maintaining confidence that public investment is being managed responsibly and delivering long-term value for residents and communities.

More than bricks and mortar While Ireland’s immediate challenge is increasing supply, Power warns against viewing housing purely through the lens of construction.

“The homes we build today will still be here in 50 or 100 years’ time. They are where people will raise families, grow old, build friendships, and create communities.”

Because of that, she argues, the housing sector needs to pay just as much attention to long-term stewardship as it does to housing delivery.

“The question is not simply who can build homes. It is who will maintain them, manage them, support residents, and help those neighbourhoods thrive for generations to come.”

As Ireland increasingly delivers social and cost rental housing at scale, that challenge becomes even more important.

“Large-scale rental housing requires more than bricks and mortar. It requires professional asset management, planned maintenance, resident engagement, tenancy sustainment, and community development.”

Without that long-term focus, Power warns, there is a risk of creating future social challenges while attempting to solve today’s housing shortage.

cover story

The opportunity is significant. Over the past decade, Clúid has grown from approximately 5,500 homes to more than 14,000 homes, supported by record levels of government investment and strong partnerships across the sector.

Stewarding public trust

Housing Ireland magazine

It was this combination of lived experience and a determination to expand opportunity that attracted her to Clúid, one of Ireland’s largest approved housing bodies (AHBs), which today provides more than 14,000 homes to over 36,000 residents across the country.

“The real test of housing policy is not what we build this year. It is what those neighbourhoods look like 20 years from now.”

A housing organisation built for the long term Power believes Ireland needs organisations capable not only of building homes, but of managing them, maintaining them, and supporting residents and communities for decades to come.

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operationally effective. But every decision we make is ultimately driven by the needs of residents rather than shareholders.”

She describes this as a combination of “commercial discipline and social purpose”.

For Power, one of the greatest strengths of the AHB model is that it converts public investment into longterm public value.

Housing Ireland magazine

“When government invests in an AHB home, it is not a once-off subsidy. It is not simply a short-term intervention. It is creating a home that will remain in social or affordable use for generations.”

Unlike temporary measures, she argues, investment in AHB housing creates permanent additional housing assets while ensuring long-term stewardship of homes, residents, and communities.

“We provide homes for life. But our responsibilities do not end when the keys are handed over.”

Great places to live

She points to Clúid's own growth as evidence of the capability that has developed within the AHB sector.

“We never want to lose sight of the fact that housing is ultimately about people.”

Over the last decade, Clúid has grown from approximately 5,500 homes to more than 14,500 homes and now supports over 37,000 residents nationwide. Behind that growth is a multidisciplinary team of around 400 professionals working across housing development, architecture and design, planning, project management, surveying, maintenance, service delivery, resident engagement, tenancy sustainment, finance, governance, risk management, and sustainability.

According to Clúid’s resident satisfaction survey, 89 per cent of residents describe the organisation as easy to deal with, while its dedicated in-house maintenance service, Clúid Works, enables it to maintain homes and respond directly to resident needs.

cover story

“We have developed the expertise and systems required not only to deliver housing at scale, but also to manage those homes successfully over the long term.”

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“Our growth has only been possible because of the confidence placed in us by residents, local authorities, government, lenders, and sector partners. That trust has been earned through delivery, partnership, professionalism, and sound governance.”

The role of approved housing bodies

Power frequently returns to a phrase that has become central to Clúid’s vision: creating “great places to live”.

For her, that means not just providing accommodation, but also security, comfort, and connection.

“Security means having a home for life.

Comfort means a warm, energyefficient home that is affordable to live in. Connection is about feeling part of a vibrant community.”

Clúid has invested heavily in retrofitting and sustainability, with the majority of its homes now A- or B-rated.

But Power emphasises that thriving communities matter just as much as high-quality homes.

That commitment is reflected in stories she has heard from residents.

She recalls meeting an older resident in Cork who moved from an isolated rural house into a home managed by Clann, Clúid’s age-friendly housing and services provider.

That expertise has enabled Clúid to become one of the State’s most significant housing delivery partners.

The organisation has delivered awardwinning developments, pioneered innovation including Ireland’s first cost rental homes and undertaken one of the country’s largest retrofit programmes.

She believes AHBs like Clúid occupy a unique space, combining professional expertise and financial discipline with a social mission.

Previously, the resident lived alone in a cold and difficult-to-maintain property.

Following her move, she gained access to a modern, energy-efficient home, communal facilities, regular activities, and a network of neighbours.

Power also points to the organisation’s strong focus on residents.

“We have to be financially sustainable, professionally governed, and

“She had gone from feeling isolated to being part of a community.”

Power is passionate about the role AHBs can play within Ireland’s housing system.

For Power, these are the moments that bring housing policy to life.

“When you get out and hear directly from residents about the difference housing has made to them, that really matters.”

Those interactions also provide perspective during the more challenging aspects of leading a large organisation.

Partnership, not competition While eager to see the AHB sector grow, Power is equally clear that housing delivery should not become a competition between providers.

She is keen to acknowledge the central role local authorities have played, and continue to play, in creating successful social housing communities.

“I know personally the difference local authority housing can make. I grew up in a local authority estate that provided stability, opportunity, and a strong sense of community.”

She welcomes the growing role of local authorities, the Land Development Agency (LDA), and the Housing Activation Office.

However, she believes the scale of Ireland’s housing challenge means no single organisation can solve it alone.

“The strongest housing systems internationally harness the strengths of public bodies and independent not-forprofit housing providers working together.”

While welcoming record levels of government investment in housing, Power believes funding reform is needed for Ireland to maximise the sector’s delivery capacity.

She points to the recommendations contained in the 2025 Report of the Approved Housing Body (AHB) Strategic Forum, including reforms around cost recovery, community facilities, funding models, and access to private capital.

“The objective is not simply to provide more funding. It is to create funding arrangements that reflect the real cost of delivery, unlock private investment, and enable long-term community development.”

Power believes funding reform could also enable large AHBs to attract responsible long-term investors, including pension funds, ESG investors and other forms of patient capital.

Across Europe, many housing associations already operate using a combination of public and private finance.

The benefit of such an approach, she argues, is that public investment can be leveraged to access additional private capital, allowing AHBs to deliver housing at a greater scale than public funding alone would permit while keeping those homes permanently dedicated to social and affordable housing.

“A number of funding and policy reforms would be needed for Irish AHBs to do the same,” she says, “but it could unlock significant additional capacity”.

The goal, she says, is not simply to deliver more homes, but to deliver more homes while maintaining quality, affordability, and strong resident support.

Looking beyond shortterm metrics “I passionately believe that everybody, regardless of their income, deserves a great place to live and all of the opportunities that come with that,” she says.

Housing Ireland magazine

“When the days are difficult, when you are dealing with complex decisions and long hours, those conversations remind you why you are doing it.”

Unlocking greater delivery

As Ireland seeks to increase housing supply, Power hopes the conversation will evolve beyond short-term delivery metrics to focus on the long-term outcomes housing can create.

The homes being built today will shape lives and communities for generations.

The challenge, she believes, is not simply to deliver more homes, but to ensure they remain places where people can thrive, communities can flourish, and public investment continues to deliver value long into the future.

For Power, success will ultimately be measured not by the number of homes delivered in any single year, but by whether those homes provide the stability, opportunity, and sense of belonging that people need to build better lives.

That ambition is what first drew her to Clúid, and it continues to guide her vision for the organisation and for Ireland’s housing system: ensuring that more people have not just a home, but a great place to live.

For Power, the future lies in partnership.

“Local authorities bring local knowledge, democratic accountability, and leadership. The LDA helps unlock strategic land. AHBs bring specialist housing expertise, social purpose, and long-term stewardship. We need all of those strengths working together.”

Averil Power is Chief Executive of Clúid, one of Ireland’s largest approved housing bodies, which now provides more than 14,500 homes to around 37,000 residents nationwide. Raised in social housing in Shankill, south Dublin, Power went on to become a senior ministerial adviser across four government departments.

She entered elected politics in 2011, serving as a Senator. After leaving the Seanad in 2016, Power later served as CEO of the Asthma Society of Ireland and the Irish Cancer Society. She holds degrees in business and law from Trinity College Dublin and the King’s Inns.

cover story

“The real opportunity is to create a housing system where local authorities, AHBs, the LDA, and others are all operating at their full potential.”

About: Averil Power

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Housing Ireland magazine

Ending dereliction and vacancy Part of the Government’s aim to increase supply is to be achieved by “working towards ending dereliction and vacancy”.

Arguably the most radical aspect of the Government’s latest housing strategy, Delivering Homes, Building Communities 2025-2030, is the fact that it identifies existing vacant and derelict properties as an important source of additional housing supply.

Alongside new housing delivery, the plan sets out a range of measures intended to return more existing properties to productive use through financial incentives, stronger enforcement, planning reform, and urban regeneration initiatives.

While the delivery of new homes remains the primary objective of the Government’s housing strategy, the plan recognises that increasing supply also requires making better use of Ireland’s existing housing stock.

Vacant homes, derelict buildings, underutilised commercial properties, and upper floors above retail premises are all identified as opportunities to increase housing supply while supporting the regeneration of towns, villages, and city centres.

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The strategy therefore seeks to complement new construction by reducing the number of buildings lying idle and bringing more properties back into residential use.

The Government argues that this approach can help deliver housing more quickly than new developments in many cases while also making more efficient use of existing infrastructure, services, and established communities.

Vacancy and dereliction Despite some progress in recent years, the Government acknowledges that significant numbers of vacant and derelict properties remain across the country and that further intervention will be required if these buildings are to make a meaningful contribution to overall housing supply.

The action plan therefore combines financial incentives with stronger regulatory and enforcement measures designed to encourage owners either to renovate properties or return them to productive use.

Local authorities are expected to play a

central role in delivering this objective through a coordinated approach involving planning, regeneration, housing, and vacant homes teams.

Recognising the challenges associated with converting older commercial buildings, the Government also proposes introducing an ‘above the shop’ top-up grant to support the conversion of vacant upper floors into residential accommodation.

In addition, an expert advice grant is to be introduced to assist owners in assessing complex refurbishment projects before significant investment decisions are made.

The action plan also proposes extending and expanding the Living City Initiative. Originally introduced to support regeneration in designated historic urban areas, the initiative will be broadened to include residential properties constructed before 1975 and additional urban centres identified within the National Planning Framework.

The objective is to encourage investment in older buildings while supporting town centre regeneration and increasing residential density within existing communities.

Stronger enforcement Alongside grant schemes, the Government intends to strengthen enforcement measures where properties remain vacant or derelict.

The plan places renewed emphasis on the use of compulsory purchase powers by local authorities to acquire long-term vacant and derelict properties where engagement with owners has not resulted in action.

The existing Compulsory Purchase Order Activation Programme is to be expanded to support local authorities in acquiring more vacant sites and buildings for housing purposes.

To improve transparency, annual performance data relating to compulsory purchase activity and the

The Government also intends to replace the existing Derelict Sites Levy with a new self-assessed derelict property tax.

This is due to be implemented on a phased basis throughout the State, beginning in 2027.

Under the proposed arrangements, local authorities will continue identifying qualifying properties and maintaining local registers, while Revenue will assume responsibility for administering and collecting the tax.

The aim of this approach is to strengthen compliance while ensuring that derelict properties are subject to a more effective taxation regime.

Planning and regeneration The strategy also identifies planning reform as an important mechanism for increasing housing supply from existing buildings.

The Government proposes expanding categories of exempted development to facilitate measures such as attic conversions, subdivision of existing homes, and the construction of detached accommodation within residential curtilages.

These reforms are intended to remove planning barriers to increasing housing density within existing neighbourhoods.

The action plan says that the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund will also continue supporting the acquisition and redevelopment of vacant and underused sites capable of delivering housing.

The revolving acquisition programme is expected to play an important role in unlocking difficult sites that have constrained wider regeneration projects in towns and cities.

Taken together, these measures seek to integrate housing delivery with broader objectives relating to economic regeneration, heritage conservation, and town centre renewal.

Local authority delivery The action plan places significant responsibility on local authorities to coordinate efforts to reduce vacancy and dereliction. Dedicated vacant homes officers are expected to continue working alongside housing, planning, and regeneration teams to identify suitable properties, engage with owners, and coordinate intervention where necessary.

Housing Ireland magazine

Building on the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant, the Government intends to expand supports available to property owners over the lifetime of the plan. A target has been established to bring 20,000 vacant homes back into residential use through the refurbishment grant scheme.

management of vacant and derelict properties will be published.

The Government also proposes developing a national digital Derelict Sites Register to improve transparency and provide a consistent approach to monitoring progress across local authorities. The overall goal of this is to create a more coordinated national approach to returning vacant properties to residential use.

Analysis The emphasis placed on vacancy and dereliction within Delivering Homes, Building Communities represents a notable development in government housing policy.

Rather than focusing exclusively on new construction, the plan formally recognises existing vacant and derelict buildings as an additional source of housing supply and proposes a broader range of interventions than previous strategies.

The combination of grants, taxation, planning reform, compulsory purchase powers, and regeneration funding reflects a more comprehensive approach than relying solely on financial incentives.

However, many of the measures outlined, including compulsory purchase, owner engagement, and enforcement of the proposed derelict property tax, will require significant administrative capacity and consistent application across the country.

Questions also remain regarding the scale of additional housing that can realistically be delivered through refurbishment alone. While the target of bringing 20,000 vacant homes back into use is significant, it represents only a relatively small proportion of the Government’s overall ambition to deliver 300,000 homes over the lifetime of the plan to 2030.

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Housing Ireland magazine

Community-led housing: Exploring future policy pathways Ireland faces increasing demand for affordable housing and affordable forms of living, write Jessica Hannon, Communications and Stakeholder Engagement Officer, The Housing Agency, and Haley Curran, Policy Officer, The Housing Agency.

Advertorial

Recent new models of housing tenure, such as cost rental, have positively supported the development of sustainable communities. One alternative model which is experiencing a recent revival in Ireland and Europe is community-led housing.

Community-led housing, in a policy context, refers to housing initiatives where residents actively participate in the planning, design, and management of their homes.

This community centric approach enables people to collectively plan, organise, build, and manage housing for themselves, allowing residents to have a say in how their living environment is shaped. This can lead to a more 12

affordable, sustainable housing model that is tailored to the specific needs of its community.

Community-led housing as a concept is not new, but it is innovative. A community-based approach to housing has existed in different models including co-operatives (some dating back to early 19th century Ireland), cohousing, and community land trusts.

Community land trusts are democratic, non-profit organisations that own and develop land for the benefit of the community. They can have long-term community benefit; land is held in a trust and thus removed from market speculation pressure. The concept and governance structure of community

land trusts prioritises land stewardship as opposed to possession.

Ireland has a long history of housing cooperatives including Co-operative Housing Ireland and Ó Cualann Cohousing Alliance, promoting cooperative principles. The development of legislation that has impacted land reform, planning and engagement has provided an important context for the progress of community land trusts and the promotion of alternative housing and land management in Ireland.

In 2020, the National Economic and Social Council published a report, Housing Policy: Actions to Deliver Change, in which it mentions community land trusts as a method to deliver housing on leased land and suggests community land trusts provide an approach worth exploring.

In 2021, Self-Organised Architecture CLG, a not-for-profit think tank, supported by The Housing Agency and The Land Development Agency developed a series of reports that aimed to “inform and support the establishment of a community-led housing infrastructure in Ireland”.

In 2024, The Housing Agency started to explore the potential of community-led housing, and in 2025 delivered a four-part webinar series on this topic. The series aimed to raise awareness of the concept of community-led housing, showcase examples of successful projects in other countries and reflect on its future in Ireland.

Following the success of the webinar series, a report was compiled to share lessons, the mechanisms needed to deliver this form of housing, the impact this housing can provide, and the experiences of community-led housing groups in Ireland.

It concluded that community-led housing has significant potential to expand Ireland’s housing options by delivering sustainable and socially inclusive communities. Other findings include: •

Improved affordability o

o

o

creative measures help overcome challenges in delivering affordable land, through land lease mechanisms and adaptive re-use of existing buildings; and community land trusts can address affordability challenges by removing land speculation and maintain housing affordability in perpetuity.

Need for community and state support o

low-interest, long-term finance is essential to unlocking community-led housing delivery;

o

successful community-led housing projects in Europe have been delivered through codesign with residents involved from start to finish; and

o

state supported ‘hubs’ can provide guidance and support to community-led housing groups at various stages.

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Pilot projects pave the way to success o

Cork Community Land Trust’s project is a step in the right direction in creating legal, technical, and financial frameworks for community land trusts in Ireland; and

o

legislation and the appropriate operational and financial supports can be implemented to enable pilot projects with a view to scale the model.

Wider social benefits o

community-led housing provides an innovative response to challenges including ageing populations, sustainable housing delivery, community development, and cohesion.

Ireland’s housing challenges are multi-faceted, and one alternative approach to our traditional housing model will not solve the current crisis. However, communityled housing has significant potential to expand Ireland’s current housing options. Community-led housing models offer benefits to society in their ability to encourage community involvement, social cohesion, and democratic decision-making.

As mentioned previously, the Affordable Housing Act 2021 mentions community-led housing as a potential provider of affordable housing.

A next step would be to develop a shared understanding or definition of what community-led housing can deliver in an Irish context.

The benefits of this form of housing have already come to fruition in Scotland, England, and Europe, and provides useful lessons in implementing this form of housing in Ireland.

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collaborative housing and co-design can, and has, enabled affordable housing;

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Housing Ireland magazine

A key milestone for community-led housing and its supporters came when the Affordable Housing Act 2021 recognised community land trusts and housing co-operatives as potential providers of affordable housing. The Act specifically mentions the ability of local authorities to enter into arrangements with housing co-operatives and community land trusts, to provide homes.

Visit The Housing Agency’s community-led housing webinar: https://www.housingagency.ie/news/community-ledhousing-webinar-series Visit the follow up Community-Led Housing Webinar Series Report: https://www.housingagency.ie/publications/commun ity-led-housing-webinar-report/

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Housing Ireland magazine

Mixed housing progress The mid-year report on the Government’s housing strategy asserts that good progress has been made on housing delivery and purchasing supports, but that improvement is needed on reducing homelessness.

The Government’s housing plan Delivering Homes, Building Communities was published in November 2025 and sets a target of delivering 300,000 new homes over its lifetime to 2030.

This includes the delivery of 72,000 social homes and the provision of 90,000 affordable housing supports.

To achieve these targets, the strategy features an infrastructure investment of €275 billion over 10 years, the largest ever in the history of the State.

Despite the inclusion of numerous lifetime targets, the Government did not include annual housing delivery targets in the plan.

This decision received significant criticism from opposition parties, although the data on the number of annual homes completed will still be published.

This means that before the next election, which is to take place by the end of 2029, it will be more difficult to hold the Government’s housing delivery record to account as there will be no way of knowing if the 2030 target will be met.

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Housing delivery The housing plan is built around two pillars.

The first of these, ‘activating supply’ focuses on increasing the delivery of homes through planning reforms, increased construction capacity, and sustained investment.

There has been significant progress in the delivery of new homes, with 36,246 completed in 2025, up from 30,136 in 2024, a 20.4 per cent increase and the highest level recorded since official data collection began in 2011.

This progress has continued into 2026 with 7,856 new homes delivered in Q1, a 33 per cent increase compared to the first quarter of 2025 and the highest level of first-quarter completions since records began.

Additionally, 13,120 new homes were commenced between January and May 2026, a 161 per cent increase on the 5,033 commencements which occurred in the same period in 2025.

This progress has been aided by almost 35,000 planning permission applications

“These are encouraging results, but this government is not complacent. My focus remains firmly on maintaining this momentum and ensuring that we deliver on our commitments by 2030.”

James Browne TD, Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage

In 2025, 9,089 new-build social homes were also delivered, a 16 per cent increase compared with 2024 and the highest number of new social homes built in any given year in the State’s history.

Although many actions designed to tackle homelessness are contained within the housing plan, little work has been done in this area.

One initiative that has commenced is the Dublin Rental Accommodation Scheme pilot, which was launched in June 2026.

However, this is still below the target for 2025 of delivering 10,000 new social homes and further below the housing plan’s target of constructing 12,000 a year on average to 2030.

The scheme uses incentives such as long-term contracts, guaranteed monthly rent, and tax relief opportunities to encourage private property owners to use their homes for social housing.

Increasing affordability

Despite how significant an issue homelessness is within the State, this scheme represents the total action that has been taken to tackle it since the launch of the housing plan.

The second pillar of the housing plan is ‘supporting people’ which focuses on making homes accessible and affordable as well as tackling homelessness.

There has been some strong progress on this pillar, primarily through the increased delivery of housing supports.

In 2025, 17,700 supports were delivered under the Starter Homes programme, a 21 per cent increase from 2024. This is also 18 per cent above the housing strategy’s target of delivering an average of 15,000 supports every year to 2030.

The Help to Buy Scheme also received 27,899 applications in 2025, an 11.5 per cent increase compared to 2024. More applications were also approved in 2025 compared to 2024, rising from 8,541 to 9,575, a 12 per cent increase.

These increases in housing support delivery have contributed to an 8 per cent increase in homes purchased by first time buyers year on year with 20,300 bought in the year ending Q1 2026.

Homelessness Considerably less progress has been made in reducing homelessness. The number of homeless people has consistently risen since the Government was formed in January 2025 and sits at 17,527 in July 2026, an increase of over 500 since the housing plan was published in November 2025.

Housing Ireland magazine

being granted from Q1 2025 to Q1 2026, an 8 per cent increase from the previous year.

Additionally, the child and family homeless action plan, which the mid-year report states was due to be published in July 2026, has been delayed by the Government until September 2026.

Speaking at the launch of the report in July 2026, Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, James Browne TD said: “All the key indicators are moving in the right direction.

Planning permissions, commencements, and completions have all increased. The delivery of new social homes is at record levels.

Affordable housing supports continue to expand.

“These are encouraging results, but this government is not complacent. My focus remains firmly on maintaining this momentum and ensuring that we deliver on our commitments by 2030.”

Speaking in March 2026, Labour’s housing spokesperson, Conor Sheehan TD, said: “Minister Browne is presiding over the greatest housing crisis of a generation and he needs to publish new housing targets for social and affordable housing. The fact that there is no appetite for action coming from his department is not acceptable.

“9,089 social homes were built in 2025, despite a target of 10,000. Minister Browne confirmed that 5,946 new build social homes were delivered in Q4 of 2025. This is an abject failure.”

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Housing Ireland magazine

Building at scale: Delivering Ireland’s next generation of communities Ireland’s housing challenge is entering a new phase.

While increasing housing supply remains the national priority, the growth of larger, higher-density developments means success will increasingly be measured not only by the number of homes delivered, but by the quality, sustainability, and long-term success of the communities they create.

For approved housing bodies, this represents a significant evolution. Delivering housing at scale is no longer simply about constructing homes. It requires organisations with the capability to develop complex mixed-tenure schemes, work in partnership with developers and local authorities, and plan for the longterm management of growing communities.

recent years, the organisation has significantly expanded its construction programme, delivering larger and more complex developments that are helping to meet housing need in Dublin, Cork, and other urban centres.

Respond’s recent development programme reflects this evolution.

Building at scale

Today, Respond provides homes for more than 21,000 people in over 10,000 homes across Ireland and has over 1,000 additional homes under construction. Over

2026 marks an important milestone, with several landmark developments either completed or reaching significant stages of delivery.

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In Tallaght, Respond completed Airton Road, delivering 502 social and cost rental homes in partnership with Ardstone and Walls Construction. The development provides a mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments within a mixed-use neighbourhood incorporating retail space, a crèche, coworking facilities, and landscaped public areas. Designed to high environmental standards, every home achieves an Arated BER and incorporates energyefficient heating and ventilation systems that improve comfort while reducing energy costs for tenants.

Pipers Square, Charlestown, Dublin 11.

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Respond also completed Pipers Square, developed in partnership with Cairn Homes, comprising 590 apartments and recognised as Europe’s largest certified Passivhaus residential development.

More than a construction milestone, the development demonstrates how largescale social and cost rental housing can

Construction also continues at Rathbourne Wharf in Ashtown, Respond’s largest development to date.

When complete, the scheme will deliver 725 social and cost rental homes across two phases alongside commercial space, a café, crèche, and public open spaces, creating a new mixed-tenure neighbourhood on the banks of the Royal Canal. Phase one, delivering 370 homes, is expected to be complete later this year.

Meanwhile in Cork, construction has commenced on Creamfields, a 606home development that will become Respond’s largest scheme in the city.

Delivered over four phases, it will provide 225 social homes and 381 cost rental homes alongside landscaped public spaces, commercial units, and a new town square, contributing to the continued regeneration of this part of Cork.

Collectively, these developments illustrate how the scale and ambition of social and cost rental housing delivery in Ireland is changing. Increasingly, approved housing bodies are delivering entire neighbourhoods rather than individual housing schemes.

Beyond construction

Respond has increasingly integrated these considerations into the earliest stages of development. Community spaces, management facilities, and strong connections to public transport, schools, employment, and local

Rathborne Wharf, Dublin 15.

services are planned alongside the homes themselves. This reflects the organisation’s belief that successful housing is measured not only by the quality of the buildings delivered, but by the strength of the communities they support.

That thinking also shapes Respond’s approach once construction is complete. Through early tenant engagement, local housing teams, and long-term investment in community management, the organisation aims to ensure that new developments remain safe, well-managed, and connected communities for generations to come.

Building organisational capacity Supporting this growth has required significant organisational investment.

Alongside expanding its development programme, Respond has strengthened the specialist expertise, operational systems, and organisational capacity needed to deliver and manage increasingly large and complex housing developments across Ireland.

This investment reflects the reality that delivering housing at today’s scale requires more than construction capability alone. It also demands strong governance, experienced multidisciplinary teams, and the capacity to manage communities over the long term.

Looking ahead Ireland’s housing system will continue to require ambitious delivery if it is to meet current and future demand.

However, as larger mixed-tenure developments become more common, the conversation is also evolving.

Success will increasingly be judged by more than the number of homes completed. Equal attention must be paid to quality, sustainability, and the long-term success of the communities being created.

Respond’s recent developments demonstrate that delivering housing at scale means creating more than new homes. It means creating welldesigned, sustainable neighbourhoods where people have access to highquality homes, strong management, and the foundations to build secure futures.

T: 01 808 7700 E: info@respond.ie W: www.respond.ie @respondhousing

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As developments become larger and more complex, planning must extend beyond construction. Mixed-tenure developments require long-term thinking about how neighbourhoods will function once residents move in.

Shared spaces, community facilities, and professional housing management all play an important role in creating places where people want to live over the long term.

Housing Ireland magazine

achieve internationally recognised standards of energy performance while delivering warmer, healthier homes with significantly lower energy demand. For tenants, this means greater comfort and lower energy bills. For the wider housing sector, it provides a practical example of how sustainable construction can be successfully delivered at scale.

www.linkedin.com/company/ respondhousing/

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Housing Ireland magazine

Record homelessness The number of homeless people in the State is five times higher than 12 years ago when data collection began, while the number of homeless children increased sevenfold in the same period.

Since the formation of the new government in January 2025, an additional 2,241 people have become homeless, a 15 per cent increase in 17 months.

The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage’s homelessness report figures from July 2026 show that there are 17,527 people living in emergency accommodation in the State, the Government’s metric for measuring homelessness.

One reason for this considerable increase is the large number of families who have become homeless in the past year. An additional 560 families have become homeless since January 2025, a 26 per cent rise.

This increase in the number of families in emergency accommodation has had 18

a significant effect on child homelessness with 5,659 under-18s classed as homeless. This is a 23 per cent increase compared to January 2025, with children now accounting for 32 per cent of the total homeless population.

The increase in child homelessness is more than twice as large as the rise in adult homelessness, which rose by 11 per cent in the same period.

There are now 11,868 adults living in emergency accommodation. However, the proportion of homeless people who are single adults fell by 5 per cent from January 2025.

In Q1 2026, 720 adults exited emergency accommodation. This represents a 22 per cent decrease from Q4 2024 when the figure stood at 922.

Long-term trends The longer-term data highlights that child homelessness represents a major failure of the State.

The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage has released monthly homelessness data since July 2014. The July 2014 report showed that there were 749 homeless children in Ireland at the time, while in July 2026, the figure stood at 5,659.

This means that in a period where Ireland has become one of Europe’s fastest-growing economies with its modified gross national income (GNI*) climbing €350 billion, the number of homeless children has increased by 650 per cent.

Homelessness has consistently risen since 2014, with the only reprieves coming during the Covid-19 pandemic and the subsequent eviction ban, which occurred in 2020 and early 2021.

The temporary winter eviction bans from November 2022 to March 2023 also stopped figures rising for a few months, but when this was lifted,

Delivering Homes, Building Communities introduced

Leo Varadkar becomes Taoiseach Second winter eviction ban

FF-FG-Ind government takes office

2008 financial crisis

Taoiseach. Economy recovers from

Covid-19 lockdown ends

Winter eviction ban introduced

Enda Kenny begins second term as

This means that since the Government began tracking homelessness in July 2014, over 14,000 people have become homeless.

Housing for All introduced

GF-FG-Green government takes office. Covid-19 lockdown restrictions introduced

In the same period, the adult homeless population also increased by 373 per cent, from 2,509 to 11,868, as the Government has struggled to find a solution to this crisis.

homelessness dramatically shot back up.

methodology for measuring homelessness is significantly different.

This correlation between evictions and homelessness, alongside a 21 per cent increase in evictions in 2025 compared to the previous year, has prompted calls for another ban from opposition parties.

A person is legally defined as homeless in the North if they have nowhere suitable to live, including situations where their housing is unsafe, overcrowded, or harmful to health, are in temporary accommodation, or are staying with others because they have nowhere else to go.

Although the eviction bans provided some short-term reductions in homelessness, the figures have consistently increased for over a decade in the absence of these one-off measures, pointing to deeper structural challenges which are driving the State’s record homelessness.

Homelessness in the North A direct comparison with homelessness figures in the North is hard to measure because the

Housing Ireland magazine

This means that there are seven-and-a half-times more homeless children living in the State than there were 12 years ago.

By this metric, there were 64,417 homeless people living in the North in June 2026 according to figures from the Northern Ireland Assembly, a figure which dwarfs the 17,527 homeless people in the State.

However, for an effective comparison of homelessness on an all-Ireland basis, the number of people living in temporary accommodation in the North is a more accurate statistic to use.

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Housing Ireland magazine

“Month after month, this crisis continues to deepen as a result of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael’s disastrous housing policies.”

Eoin Ó Broin TD, Sinn Féin

Temporary accommodation is short-term housing provided or arranged by the Housing Executive (HE) to those who are legally recognised as homeless and includes private single lets, voluntary sector and HE hostels, and hotels.

In the North, the most recent statistics show that there were 5,633 households living in temporary accommodation in April 2026 compared to 9,968 living in homeless emergency accommodation in the State in July 2026.

Given that the population of the State is over three times larger than that of the North, these figures highlight that the homelessness crisis is not just contained within State but exists all over Ireland.

Reducing homelessness The homelessness crisis persists in spite of the fact that, in 2025, Ireland experienced record employment levels and a growth in the GNI* of almost 5 per cent.

In an attempt to tackle the issue, Budget 2026 contained a 20 per cent increase in Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage funding, with over €5 billion allocated to boost housing supply.

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The budget also provided an increased funding allocation of €563 million, up from €328 million in 2025, to tackle homelessness through prevention initiatives, tenancy sustainment supports, and the provision of emergency accommodation.

The Government also launched its new housing action plan, Delivering Homes, Building Communities, in November 2025 to speed up the delivery of new homes to tackle homelessness.

The plan features an investment of €275 billion over 10 years, the largest ever in the history of the State, and has targets of creating 72,000 social homes and 90,000 affordable housing supports by 2030.

There is also a focus on ending child and family homelessness, with €100 million allocated to fund the second-hand acquisition of homes for families who have been in emergency accommodation the longest.

As well as this, the Government plans to work with local authorities to ensure the delivery of social housing will address the needs of those experiencing homelessness locally.

Housing Ireland magazine

This means increasing the amount of onebedroom and four-bedroom properties which are suitable for single adults and families will be prioritised.

Owing to its frustration over the consistent increases in homelessness in the State, in May 2026, Sinn Féin launched its 12-point emergency homeless plan.

Despite the Government’s commitments to tackling homelessness, the housing action plan’s mid-year report, released in July 2026, showed little tangible progress had been made.

This outlines the steps that the party would take to end long-term homelessness by 2030 including an emergency ban on evictions and a three-year ban on rent increases

Additionally, the housing action plan committed to a separate child and family homeless action plan, but the Government has delayed this until September 2026.

Speaking at the launch of the plan, Sinn Féin’s housing spokesperson, Eoin Ó Broin TD said: “Month after month, this crisis continues to deepen as a result of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael’s disastrous housing policies.

This is despite the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage James Browne TD telling the Seanad in April that it would be published by Q2 2026. At the time of writing, the plan is yet to be published.

However, one initiative that has been progressed is the Dublin Rental Accommodation Scheme pilot, which was launched in June 2026.

This scheme encourages private property owners and landlords to use their homes for social housing through incentives such as long-term contracts, guaranteed monthly rent, and tax relief opportunities.

“Government must urgently publish an action plan to end long-term homelessness by 2030 with clear quarterly and annual targets. This must include extending the Youth Homelessness Strategy to 2030 and including a new child homeless strategy.

The Minister must then report to the Oireachtas Housing Committee quarterly to ensure the plan is fully implemented.”

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round table discussion

Skills for Ireland’s green future Bord Gáis Energy brings together experts from government, industry, and research for a round table discussion on the skills needed to deliver Ireland’s green transition.

What is the biggest barrier to building the green workforce Ireland needs and what would make the greatest difference over the next five years?

Iain McKenzie The biggest barrier is not a lack of ambition, but the gap between demand for green skills and the capacity of education, training, and delivery systems to scale quickly enough. There is already significant activity, including accredited retrofit programmes and growing solar and electrical skills, but the challenge is accelerating these pathways to meet demand. We need the right balance

between employer-led practical experience, attracting people into green careers, and upskilling existing workers.

Consumer confidence, safety, and quality standards will also be critical as the workforce expands and new technologies are deployed at greater scale.

Andrew Brownlee The biggest challenge is competing priorities. Ireland needs to build more homes and infrastructure while also retrofitting around 500,000 homes, requiring the construction workforce to expand significantly. While training and clear targets for green skills are already in place, industry engagement remains

Round table discussion hosted by

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insufficient. Ireland has retrofit centres of excellence and training facilities, but courses are not being taken up because employers are reluctant to take workers away from sites when there is already strong demand for labour. The priority over the next five years should therefore be finding ways to engage industry and create the imperative for employers to invest in retrofitting skills.

Eóin Deegan Ireland has significant ambition around housing, energy efficiency, heat pumps, and emissions reductions, but the key challenge is delivering these targets at scale and pace. That requires a larger, well-trained, and well-skilled workforce.

The new construction and retrofit sectors can complement each other by growing the overall workforce. Education and training providers are already working to expand and improve courses, including making them more accessible and available online. Over the next five years, 4

Round table participants

Andrew Brownlee Andrew Brownlee is Chief Executive Officer of the Construction Industry Federation, having joined the organisation in October 2025. He previously served as CEO of SOLAS, the state agency for further education, training, and apprenticeships, and held senior roles with the Higher Education Authority and in management consulting. Brownlee holds a master’s in economics and accounting from the University of Edinburgh.

Ciaran Byrne Ciaran Byrne is director of national retrofit and a member of the executive leadership team at SEAI. He previously served as CEO of Inland Fisheries Ireland and has held senior roles across the public and private sectors. Byrne is a qualified management accountant and chartered director, and holds degrees in science, including a PhD, from Trinity College Dublin.

Eóin Deegan Eóin Deegan is a member of the Residential and Community Energy Efficiency section of the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment, with policy responsibility for the National Residential Retrofit Plan and SEAI residential retrofit schemes. He has worked in environmental and natural resources policy since 2008, previously holding roles covering air quality, waste, resource efficiency, mining, and petroleum.

Niall Farrell is Associate Research Professor at the Economic and Social Research Institute and adjunct associate professor at Trinity College Dublin. He is co-lead of the ESRI Energy Policy Research Centre and co-research area coordinator for energy and environmental research. His research focuses on energy policy, renewable energy integration, energy investment, and electricity markets, including work supporting Ireland’s climate and energy targets.

Jeanne McDonagh Jeanne McDonagh is CEO of the Open Doors Initiative, which works to improve access to education, employment, and entrepreneurship for people from underrepresented backgrounds. She has more than 30 years’ experience across inclusion, politics, campaigning, and mental health, alongside extensive boardlevel experience. McDonagh’s personal experience with bipolar informs her work.

round table discussion

Niall Farrell

Iain McKenzie Iain McKenzie is Director of Operations at Bord Gáis Energy, overseeing customer operations including field engineering, contact operations, service and repair, heating and renewable installations, customer vulnerability, regulatory compliance, and outsourced partnerships. Having joined Bord Gáis Energy in 2026, he brings more than 20 years’ operational leadership experience across the energy and services sectors.

Previously, McKenzie held senior roles at Centrica, including leading a 2,000-strong service and repair engineering workforce and overseeing UK operational support functions. He holds a BA (Hons) in Management Studies from the University of Leeds and is completing an executive MBA at Henley Business School.

Ken Stockil Ken Stockil is Chief Executive Officer of 20FIFTY Partners, which helps organisations develop the skills and capabilities needed to transition to a more sustainable future. The company delivers national and sectoral programmes across sustainability, climate action, climate resilience, water stewardship, circularity, digital transformation, and AI-enabled innovation, including the Skillnet Climate Ready Academy and programmes for Uisce Éireann, the HSE, Bord Bia, and SOLAS. 23

round table discussion

“We need the right balance between employer-led practical experience, attracting people into green careers, and upskilling existing workers.” Iain McKenzie the priority should be growing the workforce while making green careers as attractive and accessible as possible to new entrants.

Ken Stockil Government is already developing educational and training interventions through initiatives such as the Climate Ready Academy, apprenticeships, and eCollege. However, industry engagement is changing, and we need to understand what is driving that change. Historically, green skills were often presented primarily as a way of reducing carbon emissions and environmental impacts.

Increasingly, businesses are more focused on climate resilience and ensuring their operations can withstand future risks. We need to respond to that shift by framing green skills and training around business resilience as well as mitigation. Connecting the green skills agenda more directly to industry’s immediate and future needs could strengthen engagement.

Jeanne McDonagh Ireland needs to look at several measures simultaneously, including making it easier for qualified people from abroad to transfer their qualifications and providing affordable retraining.

Accommodation is also critical if Ireland is to attract the workers it needs, requiring greater use of modular housing 24

and faster conversion of vacant and derelict buildings. The greenest building is often the existing building, so there is significant potential there. We also need better communication about career pathways, including in multiple languages, alongside intensive Englishlanguage training for migrants.

Organisations such as Open Doors already have thousands of people seeking work or retraining, so greater investment in making people work-ready could unlock a significant workforce.

Ciaran Byrne The fundamental challenge is having enough people, with estimates suggesting tens of thousands of additional workers will be needed in clean and green sectors. Once we have the workforce, however, we need to consider how effectively those people are deployed across competing priorities. Modern methods of construction will improve productivity, while retrofit demand varies significantly between areas such as solar and heat pumps. At present, Ireland may have enough workers for current heat pump demand, but future targets will require that capacity to grow exponentially to reach stretched targets. There is also significant potential to retrain people already in Ireland, but ultimately the priority is establishing the workforce base needed to meet future demand.

Niall Farrell Full employment means increasing demand for skills is difficult to meet with the existing workforce, while additional demand can also create inflationary pressure. One approach could be prioritising less inflationary activities in the short term while building capacity through apprenticeships, training, and migration. Renewables could be prioritised initially, while workforce capacity develops for other areas.

Attracting migrant workers is also becoming harder because Ireland faces high accommodation and living costs.

Modern methods of construction, greater use of vacant and derelict homes, and potentially adding construction trades to critical skills lists could help. These measures could increase capacity while supporting climate targets without placing excessive pressure on prices.

How can Ireland attract and support more people into careers in construction, engineering, and energy?

Jeanne McDonagh Ireland needs to create clearer pathways into construction, engineering, and energy for underrepresented groups and people already living here or arriving from abroad. There is a significant pool

“While training and clear targets for green skills are already in place, industry engagement remains insufficient.” Andrew Brownlee

Ken Stockil We need to communicate that construction, engineering, and energy offer careers with real purpose. Young people increasingly want to work in areas where they can make a meaningful contribution, yet we do not always communicate the importance of these sectors effectively. Without housing, energy supply, construction, and engineering skills, Ireland cannot address many of the challenges it faces.

Industry also needs to demonstrate that these are values-driven careers with a wider social and environmental purpose.

Strengthening that message, particularly when engaging young people through education and training systems, could make these careers more attractive to a new generation of workers.

Iain McKenzie We need to reposition construction, engineering, and energy roles as futurecritical careers rather than transactional trade skills. That starts with stronger STEM engagement in schools and making these pathways attractive to a broader range of people, including women and migrant workers. There is already progress: our apprenticeship programme now has 22 apprentices, including women, while we are investing in upskilling, cross-skilling, and green skills training. We are also exploring how to use wider UK expertise to strengthen our training provision. More work is needed on accessibility and gender balance, but ultimately it is about rebranding these roles and communicating their importance to the future.

Jeanne McDonagh Societal integration is also essential for people coming to Ireland to work.

Migrant workers need to feel welcome and part of Irish society, particularly as racism is increasing and creating additional barriers. This is a broader issue than cannot be addressed through employment policy alone, but it is important if Ireland is to successfully attract and retain the workers it needs.

Ensuring people feel secure, respected, and integrated should therefore form

part of the wider strategy for attracting talent into construction, engineering, and energy.

Ciaran Byrne Ireland needs to fundamentally change how it values trades. Traditionally, academic careers have been prioritised, while trades were often viewed as a lesser pathway. That needs to change, starting in primary school and involving parents as well as children. Green careers offer clear purpose: installing heat pumps, solar panels, retrofitting homes, and decarbonising building infrastructure directly support climate and environmental goals. These roles are also resilient to AI because they require practical skills. There is a huge opportunity to create careers across the country, not just in major cities, while also supporting foreign workers to support the green transition, and ensuring they receive proper standards and conditions of employment.

round table discussion

of people seeking work and retraining, but they need employers to engage with them and provide opportunities.

Programmes such as STEP can help displaced people access employment, while training should be expanded nationwide and made more accessible.

We also need to address the gendering of these sectors and ensure women can access opportunities. Better communication about career pathways is essential, alongside support such as language training. The people are there; we need to build the pathways.

Niall Farrell A career in the trades offers several attractive qualities: clear purpose, strong demand, job security, and increasingly competitive pay. We need to communicate that message more effectively, particularly to younger people considering their career options. Trades could become the next major career 4 25

round table discussion

“Ireland needs to create clearer pathways into construction, engineering, and energy for underrepresented groups and people already living here or arriving from abroad.” Jeanne McDonagh

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pathway, much as civil engineering and IT were particularly attractive in previous generations. However, we should also consider the people further up the value chain who run construction businesses. If there are barriers making it difficult to establish and grow firms in Ireland, addressing those issues could strengthen the industry and create additional opportunities for people entering these sectors.

Andrew Brownlee We need to change perceptions of construction and present it as a modern, high-tech, people-focused industry. Many still associate construction with working outdoors on sites, but modern methods include off-site manufacturing, robotics, digitisation, and new approaches to retrofit. It is also an industry that will remain resilient to AI because practical work will always require people. We have made progress in recognising trades and apprenticeships as equally valuable career pathways, but we need to market them more effectively. We should also expand access through boot camps and intensive traineeships, particularly for retrofit, where people may not need a traditional degree or full apprenticeship to gain the necessary skills.

“Trades could become the next major career pathway, much as civil engineering and IT were particularly attractive in previous generations.” Niall Farrell

Eóin Deegan Government investment is providing a strong signal that retrofit and green construction will be long-term growth areas. The National Development Plan has allocated €3.7 billion to retrofitting, while the National Residential Retrofit Plan identifies skills supply as a core priority.

Six operational centres of excellence and other measures are supporting this. This investment provides certainty for businesses to recruit and develop staff, while funding is expected to grow as Ireland approaches 2030. We also need to communicate the wider benefits of retrofit more effectively. More than half of spending supports warmer homes for people at risk of energy poverty, so these careers directly contribute to people’s wellbeing and quality of life.

attractions of these careers: clear purpose, good pay, job availability, and greater security from risks such as AI. In the medium to long term, those factors can help shift the balance towards the trades we need. In the short term, however, there is likely to remain a genuine skills shortage while we build that capacity.

Ciaran Byrne

Is Ireland facing a skills shortage or are we failing to connect people with the opportunities that already exist?

I think the answer is both: there is a skills shortage, but we are also failing to connect people with opportunities.

Smaller firms are often too busy to take workers off the job for training, even when courses are available. We need more flexible, targeted interventions that allow people to build skills incrementally, much like the IT sector. There is also a wider question about how we connect people with the purpose and values of these careers. The opportunities are there across the country, particularly in construction and retrofit, but we need to make those pathways easier and more attractive.

Niall Farrell

Jeanne McDonagh

I think the answer is both, but the shortage is more acute in the short term.

We are effectively at full employment, so the challenge is getting the right mix of people into the trades and professions we will need. We need to emphasise the

I think we are overlooking obvious candidates and failing to meet wider societal needs. People with disabilities, for example, often have the skills and willingness to work but face barriers around accessible housing, transport, and

“We need to balance the urgency of meeting ambitious climate targets with the need to ensure training provides genuine, job-ready skills.” Eóin Deegan

Ken Stockil We need to unlock the people making decisions within organisations. Green competencies are not simply technical skills; they include systems thinking and the ability of managers and leaders to connect people with opportunities. Many programmes have focused on climate awareness and technical skills, but we need to frame this around business competitiveness and national economic resilience. Training also needs to be short, practical, and directly linked to business needs, ideally producing a tangible action plan. We should also recognise the role of apprenticeships and new sustainability-focused programmes in developing the skills needed to make those connections and unlock existing talent.

Eóin Deegan Transferability is crucial. We need to grow the overall labour force while making it easier for people to move between areas such as new construction and retrofit.

There does not necessarily have to be a conflict between the two. We should make it easier for people who want to work locally, rather than travelling to major centres, to move into retrofit opportunities. Apprenticeships will also be important, alongside the significant investment already committed through the NDP and climate action plans. We also need to better communicate the wider value of retrofit, particularly its role in tackling energy poverty and improving people’s quality of life.

Iain McKenzie I think it is both attractiveness and skills shortages. We need to unlock decisionmakers through short, modular interventions where the impact is clear and relevant to their business. The same applies to technical skills. Four-year apprenticeships are valuable, but they represent a significant commitment. There is an opportunity to complement them with more tactical, modular training focused on specific skills, while maintaining the necessary safety and quality standards. Poor-quality installations ultimately undermine consumer confidence. Developing more

flexible apprenticeship pathways and modular training could therefore help address both the skills shortage and the wider challenge of connecting people with available opportunities.

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workplace understanding. SMEs are another important consideration: they are among Ireland’s biggest employers but are often too time-poor to facilitate lengthy training. So we need to design solutions around their needs. Ultimately, I would say this is less about a lack of skills and more about a lack of skills transfer. We need better communication, stronger pathways, and a clearer demonstration of the value of these careers.

“Modern methods of construction will improve productivity, while retrofit demand varies significantly between areas such as solar and heat pumps.” Ciaran Byrne

Andrew Brownlee The answer is both. There is an opportunity to encourage people to move into the industry mid-career, particularly into retrofit, but we also need to connect employers with the opportunities available. Much of the construction sector is highly fragmented and SME-based, so if we want more companies involved in retrofit, we need to incentivise them. That could include grants, allowances, or voucher schemes that support companies in sending workers for relevant training and then pursuing retrofit work. We also need to address the wider mismatch between qualifications and jobs, while presenting construction as the modern, high-tech, and increasingly diverse industry that it is.

How can Ireland develop green skills more quickly while maintaining quality, safety, and consumer confidence?

Andrew Brownlee We need to use different models for upskilling and reskilling, including traineeships and bootcamps. These

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while others may undercut that by cutting corners. We therefore need both a carrot and a stick: make it as easy as possible for businesses to do the right thing, but ensure there are consequences for poor practice. It is far better to get installations right first time than retrofit a retrofit.

Jeanne McDonagh We should look at what other countries are doing successfully and bring those models to Ireland. There is no need to reinvent the wheel when effective approaches already exist elsewhere. We should identify the training and skills models that work, adapt them to the Irish context, and implement them quickly.

Ken Stockil

round table discussion

“We can learn from other countries while sharing successful Irish approaches, as is already happening with water skills programmes.” Ken Stockil

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should be marketed as accessible pathways into meaningful careers, where people can be trained on site within months. It needs to be presented as a positive career move and a practical way to contribute to the climate transition. I think this could benefit from a dedicated campaign bringing together the relevant organisations and training providers. With the right people around the table, we could develop something tangible relatively quickly.

rapid expansion resulted in standards slipping. There are opportunities to create accelerated pathways into technical skills, including for people transitioning from other careers. The key organisations are already around the table, so there is an opportunity to develop these pathways collaboratively.

Niall Farrell

We need to make more training options available, including online where appropriate, while ensuring courses are scalable. The challenge is getting people through training in a meaningful way and ensuring they emerge with the skills needed to undertake meaningful work as quickly as possible. We need to balance the urgency of meeting ambitious climate targets with the need to ensure training provides genuine, job-ready skills.

We should understand exactly what prevents people from taking up these opportunities rather than assuming information alone will change behaviour.

Research shows that simply providing information does not always overcome barriers. Identifying the specific impediment allows us to target the solution more effectively. When it comes to encouraging people into green skills, understanding what is actually holding people back, then designing interventions around those barriers rather than relying on general promotion may provide the greatest impact.

Iain McKenzie

Ciaran Byrne

There has to be a solution through accelerated learning pathways that do not compromise standards. Poor-quality installations ultimately undermine consumer confidence and become more costly in the long term. We need to find the right balance between pace and quality, learning from examples where

We need quicker, more tactical upskilling pathways, but maintaining quality is critical. Solar PV shows how quickly an industry can grow, but rapid growth can also create problems with oversight and standards. There is a real business cost to doing things properly, from safety equipment to proper installation practices,

Eóin Deegan

We should recognise what Ireland is already doing well and build on successful programmes rather than constantly starting from scratch. The Water Stewardship programme is a good example: it uses short, action-based micro-learning, with four sessions leading to a practical action plan, and has achieved strong engagement and international recognition. We should identify programmes with demonstrable impact and direct investment towards scaling them. Given how quickly policy and technology are changing, international collaboration is also important. We can learn from other countries while sharing successful Irish approaches, as is already happening with water skills programmes.

If Ireland successfully delivers its housing and climate ambitions over the next five years, what will have made the biggest difference?

Ciaran Byrne I think success by 2030 will come from getting the balance of carrot and stick right. We have created demand for new housing and retrofit, while building the skills base alongside it. The National Residential Retrofit Plan captures the four things we need: governance, funding, skills, and demand generation. If you create demand without the skills, you fall flat; if you create skills without demand, you fall even flatter. By 2030, we need the right balance of incentives and requirements, with people understanding what is needed and a values- and purpose-driven workforce delivering it.

Niall Farrell On housing, we need to minimise the friction preventing capacity from being delivered. Issues such as planning reform

Jeanne McDonagh We need to think laterally and learn from successful approaches elsewhere, such as Housing First in Finland. Housing and security of tenure provide the stability people need to participate in employment, education, and wider society. We also need to invest in people and educate the public about the wider benefits of this work. Success requires an inclusive mandate that brings everyone into these ambitions, particularly underrepresented groups. Companies also need to embrace social impact and demonstrate that they are delivering meaningful change, not simply pursuing financial returns.

Ken Stockil

Andrew Brownlee

By 2030, I would like Ireland to have set and delivered an ambition to become the most climate-resilient economy in the world. That requires strong leadership, collaboration and sustained investment in capability building. We need to be positive about the future while recognising the challenges ahead. Ireland has strengths we can build on, but achieving that ambition will require us to double down on what we do well and work collectively to develop the resilience needed across our economy and society.

Success in 2030 will depend on having an adequate pipeline of people coming through shorter, focused, high-quality training. From an industry perspective, I would also like to see a definable retrofit subsector established in Ireland. While retrofit will always involve sole traders and smaller operators, we need larger construction companies to build significant capacity in this area. That would create companies with the scale to ramp up delivery quickly while investing continuously in upskilling, innovation, and quality. Establishing a strong, sustainable retrofit industry would give us the capacity needed to meet our long-term targets.

Eóin Deegan We have already made significant progress, including meeting our first emissions ceiling, investing €1.9 billion in retrofit grants and upgrading around 275,000 homes. The National Residential Retrofit Plan has established the four pillars of demand, skills, finance, and governance, with €3.7 billion committed through the NDP. Looking ahead, we need to continue building on those foundations and improve how we communicate the wider benefits of energy efficiency and retrofit. These measures support climate action while also improving affordability, health and wellbeing, and energy security. If we communicate that effectively, public buyin will grow.

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could help in this regard. On climate, solar could make a particularly significant difference. It delivers immediate emissions and household bill benefits, but also provides flexibility to the electricity system. With batteries, solar can help shift consumption and make better use of renewable generation that might otherwise be curtailed. As solar deployment continues to grow, this combination of generation, storage, and flexibility could make a significant contribution to achieving our climate ambitions.

Iain McKenzie Looking back from 2030, the biggest difference will have been alignment around both the ambition and the solutions. Three things are particularly important: long-term policy clarity, publicprivate collaboration, and inclusion. Policy certainty is essential to give the private sector confidence to make significant investments and develop the workforce at scale. Collaboration can help address the practical challenges we have identified, while inclusion builds consumer confidence and wider engagement. If those elements come together, we can create the investment, skills, and confidence needed to deliver Ireland’s housing and climate ambitions.

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Housing Ireland magazine

From planning policy to infrastructure delivery Ireland’s housing debate has long centred on planning permissions, housing targets, and delivery, writes Fidelma McManus, Partner and Head of Housing, Beauchamps.

Yet a persistent obstacle remains: residential development cannot proceed at scale where the roads, water services, electricity connections, and other enabling infrastructure required to support it are not in place.

Communities 2025-2030, the €1 billion HIIF finances enabling infrastructure to bring housing lands into active development, including transport links, water and wastewater infrastructure, and electricity networks.

While efforts to increase housing supply have been significant, the shortage of essential infrastructure continues to constrain the activation of residential lands.

The HIIF forms part of a broader suite of land activation measures supporting the Government’s target to construct 300,000 homes by the end of 2030.

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The introduction of the Housing Infrastructure Investment Fund (HIIF) marks a notable shift in government policy, recognising that housing delivery is constrained not primarily by planning permissions or zoning decisions, but by the availability of serviced land.

The HIIF is best understood as an infrastructure investment mechanism designed to unlock residential development.

Established under the Government’s Delivering Homes, Building 30

It complements investment under the updated National Development Plan and works in parallel with the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund and Rural Regeneration and Development Fund.

Coordinating infrastructure delivery The establishment of the Housing Activation Office reinforces this objective. A perennial weakness of the Irish planning and development system

has been fragmented infrastructure delivery, involving local authorities, utility providers, and infrastructure agencies operating across separate statutory frameworks.

By coordinating these stakeholders, the Housing Activation Office aims to streamline infrastructure delivery and reduce project delays, reflecting a more interventionist role for the State.

Call 1: Prioritising early delivery The first funding call, which opened in January 2026, invited local authorities and The Land Development Agency to apply for projects capable of commencing construction in 2026 or 2027 and reaching substantial completion by 2028.

Funding of up to 100 per cent of eligible costs demonstrated a clear government preference for near-term delivery.

“While efforts to increase housing supply have been significant, the shortage of essential infrastructure continues to constrain the activation of residential lands.”

Housing Ireland magazine

Fidelma McManus, Partner and Head of Housing, Beauchamps Under the first call, 82 housing infrastructure projects were approved for support, expected to facilitate approximately 86,000 homes by unlocking development lands.

Housing Minister James Browne TD indicated that local authorities would be required to meet strict milestones, with funding potentially withdrawn and reallocated where progress is not achieved. However, the Government has not specified how many houses enabled by the programme are expected to be completed by 2030.

Although directed towards public infrastructure, the fund’s impact extends beyond the public sector.

Infrastructure investment capable of unlocking development lands can accelerate private, affordable, and social housing delivery alike.

Planning and eligibility implications

Limitations and risks However, the HIIF should not be viewed as a panacea. While infrastructure deficits impede delivery, they represent only one element of a wider challenge.

The scheme criteria explicitly require letters of commitment from third-party landowners on benefitting lands, recognising that public infrastructure investment alone cannot deliver housing without private sector follow-through.

Questions also remain regarding sequencing. Infrastructure delivered too late may do little to accelerate housing, while public investment not matched by subsequent development risks undermining the fund’s objectives.

Significantly, funding may be withdrawn for projects that do not advance to construction by the end of 2027, even where delays are unforeseen. While this underscores the Government’s emphasis on delivery, it also creates risk for local authorities pursuing complex enabling works with extended lead times.

The conditions attached to HIIF funding illustrate the Government’s emphasis on accountability. While the prospect of funding withdrawal is intended to ensure tangible outcomes, it places considerable pressure on local authorities.

Delivering complex infrastructure within compressed timeframes requires significant procurement, engineering, and project management capacity, raising questions as to whether local authorities possess the necessary capacity.

Future calls Looking ahead, the Department has indicated that future funding calls will broaden the approach to include a wider range of delivery partners, including private sector entities and longer-term, more complex infrastructure projects.

This suggests that Call 1 prioritises shovel-ready public projects, subsequent calls may open opportunities for public-private partnerships and strategic infrastructure with longer delivery horizons.

Ultimately, the HIIF signals a recognition that infrastructure has become the critical determinant of housing delivery. For many years, reform centred primarily on planning processes; this fund marks a shift towards active infrastructure investment.

The success of the HIIF will depend not on funding allocated or projects approved, but on whether investment translates into serviced land, completed homes, and sustainable communities.

If it achieves that objective, the HIIF may prove one of the most consequential housing initiatives in recent years, recognising that infrastructure policy and housing policy are inseparable.

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From a planning law perspective, the HIIF may influence future development plans. Because funding is linked to lands identified through the statutory planning framework, local authorities are likely to align land-use strategy with infrastructure investment, potentially encouraging a more realistic approach to zoning by prioritising lands capable of being serviced within the lifetime of a plan.

continue to affect housing output.

Infrastructure may unlock opportunities, but it does not guarantee completed homes.

W: www.beauchamps.ie E: f.mcmanus@beauchamps.ie

Planning litigation, procurement delays, labour shortages, financing constraints, and construction viability issues 31

Housing Ireland magazine

Enabling housing delivery Garret Doocey, Deputy Secretary General with responsibility for housing activation, Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, outlines what the Housing Activation Office (HAO) is doing to enable the infrastructure necessary for housing delivery.

Housing delivery at pace and at scale around the State is one of this government’s absolute priorities.

Delivering the homes Ireland needs depends on more than planning permissions, land availability, and construction activity.

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purpose of the office is not just to solve problems on the ground, but to ensure those problems are addressed at a systems level so homes are delivered as quickly as possible across the State.

Building homes requires the timely and quality delivery of all the enabling infrastructure that makes housing development possible: transport, water services, and electricity networks.

Now operational for 18 months, the HAO is coordinating and accelerating the delivery of critical infrastructure required to unlock housing on sites across the State and support the Government’s target of delivering 300,000 homes by 2030.

The HAO was established by government in April 2025 to address these challenges, in particular in terms of infrastructure and multi-agency coordination. Minister for Housing James Browne TD has been clear that the

Since taking up the role of Deputy Secretary General with responsibility for Housing Activation in March 2026, my focus has been on strengthening collaboration across government, infrastructure providers, local authorities,

and industry to ensure that infrastructure constraints do not become a barrier to housing delivery.

Bringing expertise into one room A defining feature of the HAO is its cross-agency model. The team brings together expertise from planning, housing, and project delivery, alongside secondees from key delivery organisations including Uisce Éireann, ESB Networks, the National Transport Authority, Transport Infrastructure Ireland, and local government.

Housing delivery is complex and no single organisation can resolve every challenge in isolation. By bringing

together expertise and decision-makers from across the sector, we can improve coordination, accelerate problemsolving, and align infrastructure investment with housing need.

The office is focused on practical delivery. We are actively identifying barriers, prioritising interventions, and ensuring that investment is directed to the projects that can unlock housing most effectively. While site specific challenges remain important, we are increasingly taking a strategic view of infrastructure requirements across the State to support housing growth at scale.

Dialogue An important element of this work has been the establishment of two key engagement structures.

In November 2025, Minister Browne convened the Housing Activation Delivery Group, bringing together senior leaders from government departments and infrastructure agencies to strengthen coordination and support the work of the HAO. At the same time, he established the Housing Activation Industry Group to ensure close engagement with industry representative bodies and support momentum across infrastructure and housing delivery.

Both groups continue to meet on a quarterly basis and most recently met on 1 July 2026. They have proven valuable forums for identifying challenges, sharing insights, and supporting a coordinated approach to delivery. We all have the same goal, but it is the job of the HAO to help get unnecessary hurdles out of the way, and troubleshoot where an issue impacting one site may be seen elsewhere, and identify what we can do systemically to address the problem, so it does not arise in the future.

also ensuring that broader network investment supports housing priorities.

A major milestone for the HAO was the launch of the €1 billion Housing Infrastructure Investment Fund (HIIF) in January 2026. Managed by the HAO, the fund represents a significant commitment to investing directly in the infrastructure needed to unlock and activate lands identified for housing development.

While the publication of the projects approved under call one marks an important milestone, it is only the beginning. The HAO will continue to develop the HIIF and broaden its scope over time to include a wider range of public and private sector delivery partners. Our objective is to create a sustainable pipeline of infrastructure investment that systematically addresses barriers to housing delivery.

By supporting investment in transport, water, electricity, and other enabling infrastructure, the fund will ensure that land is properly serviced and ready to deliver homes. Importantly, it complements rather than replaces existing investment programmes across government.

The response to the first call for applications highlighted both the scale of demand and the opportunities available to unlock housing supply. Call one attracted 138 applications from 30 local authorities and the LDA. Following a detailed assessment process, 82 projects have been approved for inclusion in the HIIF programme. These projects span a range of infrastructure categories, including roads, water services, energy infrastructure, and public parks.

Collectively, they have the potential to unlock land capable of supporting approximately 200,000 homes, either directly or indirectly.

The HAO team is working directly with local authorities and the LDA to progress these projects through an active programme management approach.

Funding will be allocated annually based on delivery progress, ensuring accountability, oversight, and a continued focus on outcomes.

Water and the grid Collaboration with infrastructure providers remains central to this work.

Uisce Éireann and ESB Networks have established dedicated teams to work alongside the HAO, helping to ensure that complementary investment in water and energy infrastructure is aligned with the delivery of HIIF funded projects. This enhanced collaboration is helping to address local activation challenges while

Housing Ireland magazine

Since becoming operational, the HAO has engaged extensively with all 31 local authorities, the Land Development Agency (LDA), infrastructure providers, and private industry stakeholders. This engagement has helped identify sites with significant housing potential and the infrastructure constraints affecting their development.

Housing Infrastructure Investment Fund

Momentum is growing Alongside these initiatives, there are encouraging signs across the wider housing system. Planning permissions remain strong, commencements have increased, and the number of homes under construction has risen significantly. Our role is to ensure that infrastructure constraints do not impede this momentum.

As the office enters its next phase, the focus is broadening beyond local activation and site specific interventions and into a more strategic phase. This includes identifying larger and more transformative infrastructure investments required to support housing delivery at scale.

To support this ambition, a ‘new urban communities’ taskforce will be established later this year to examine strategic landbanks in and around the State’s five cities and identify locations where large-scale new communities can be delivered. Its work will help government prioritise infrastructure investment in areas capable of supporting significant housing growth.

The HAO has made progress in a relatively short period. Strong partnerships have been established, major infrastructure projects are progressing, and a significant new investment fund is supporting housingenabling infrastructure across the State.

As we move into this next phase, the HAO will no doubt play a significant role in ensuring that infrastructure supports the delivery of the homes that Ireland needs.

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Housing Ireland magazine

Shanganagh Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP).

Working together to unlock housing delivery Housing delivery depends on more than land, planning, and construction. It also depends on the infrastructure that allows homes to be built, connected, and occupied, writes Uisce Éireann Senior Manager Mark Macaulay.

Water and wastewater services are central to that task. Without the right infrastructure in the right place at the right time, housing delivery can slow down or stall.

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That is why Uisce Éireann is working closely with local authorities, developers, and the Housing Activation Office (HAO) to help identify the water and wastewater infrastructure needed to support new homes across the country.

Supporting the Housing Activation Office The Housing Activation Office (HAO) was established by the Government in 2025 to help accelerate housing delivery by identifying and resolving infrastructure constraints that can act as barriers to new housing developments. By bringing together

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infrastructure providers, local authorities, and state agencies, the Office presented an opportunity to strengthen collaboration and to align infrastructure investment and delivery with housing activation initiatives from the earliest stages.

As a key contributor to the Housing Activation Office, Uisce Éireann has been working with organisations such as Transport Infrastructure Ireland, ESB Networks, the National Transport Authority, and local government to develop a practical approach to cross-sector delivery, demonstrating how all organisations are working more collaboratively to solve delivery challenges.

The Housing Activation Office manages the €1 billion Housing Infrastructure Investment Fund which has identified 82 critical infrastructure projects to support housing development across Ireland. These first approved projects have the potential to directly enable 86,000 new homes, with further longer-term

potential to support additional housing delivery. As a secondee to the Housing Activation Office, I am working closely with my colleagues to identify the water and wastewater investment to support these essential projects.

Recognising the benefit of collaboration and partnership Within Uisce Éireann, our CEO and executive team have recognised the benefit this approach brings, and have committed resources from across the organisation, including asset management, infrastructure delivery, connections, and developer services, and forward planning to ensure that water and wastewater requirements are incorporated into housingenabling infrastructure projects from the outset.

My role is to help connect the work of Uisce Éireann with the priorities of the Housing Activation Office. That means making sure water and wastewater requirements are understood early, built into project planning, and aligned with wider housing delivery timelines. The value of this arrangement lies in creating direct links between organisations, improving communication, accelerating decision-making, and helping both sides develop a shared understanding of delivery challenges and opportunities.

While the Housing Infrastructure Investment Fund is funding critical enabling infrastructure, many projects also require complementary investment in water and wastewater services.

Across the 82 approved projects, there are varying levels of interaction with Uisce Éireann infrastructure. Some projects require strategic network upgrades, others create opportunities to deliver new local infrastructure alongside road schemes, and some require detailed coordination with Uisce Éireann’s existing growth investment programmes.

Sharing knowledge to help overcome barriers to delivery

The challenge for the teams now is to ensure that project scopes, timelines, investment decisions, and delivery programmes also align. For housing schemes to move from plans on a page to completed homes, water and wastewater needs must be understood early. That early coordination helps avoid delays later and gives local authorities, infrastructure providers, and developers a clearer route to delivery.

Partnership approach supports Ireland’s housing ambitions As the infrastructure investment programme transitions from project selection into active delivery, close coordination between local authorities, the Housing Activation Office, Uisce Éireann, and other infrastructure providers will become even more important.

The partnership is already demonstrating the value of integrated planning, shared programme management, and early collaboration. For Uisce Éireann, success will not be measured only in kilometres of pipe laid or projects completed. It will be measured by the homes enabled, the communities supported, and the infrastructure put in place for future growth. Through continued collaboration with the Housing Activation Office and other partners, Uisce Éireann is helping to ensure that its infrastructure supports Ireland’s housing ambitions.

Mark Macaulay is a Senior Manager with Uisce Éireann. He has been seconded to the Housing Activation Office (HAO) within the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.

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A major focus of our work is to develop a shared view across all projects, identifying where each project sits within the delivery programme, so that resources and expertise can be aligned as projects move through the planning, design, procurement, tendering, and construction phases.

Housing Ireland magazine

Having worked with Uisce Éireann for 13 years, I have had the privilege of leading teams on a wide range of strategic projects that help shape the delivery of critical water and wastewater infrastructure. It is a very exciting opportunity for me to play a part in addressing one of the biggest challenges of our time, helping enable the delivery of homes across the country. This initiative ensures that state agencies, utilities, and other public bodies are aligned behind a common objective, and that shared sense of purpose is incredibly inspiring. Working alongside committed, like-minded professionals creates enormous opportunities for collaboration, innovation, and shared learning.

One of the key lessons emerging from the work to date is that many challenges are not unique to individual projects.

Common themes frequently arise, including questions around project sequencing, scope, approvals processes, funding arrangements, and the interaction between public infrastructure delivery and private sector development. Addressing these issues on a project-by-project basis can be inefficient and can lead to inconsistency.

This programme-wide perspective is helping identify common barriers and develop solutions that can support delivery across multiple projects.

W: www.water.ie

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Housing Ireland magazine

Delivering affordable housing across Europe Siobhán Nic Thighearnáin from the European Commission’s Housing Task Force discusses how the European Affordable Housing Plan, published in December 2025, aims to deliver the Commission’s housing goals.

Currently, 1.6 million new units are built every year across the European Union, with an additional 650,000 units needed per year over the next 10 years at a cost of €150 billion. “It is all about activation,” says Nic Thighearnáin, who adds that “implementation is where we are at”.

A post-electoral survey by the European Parliament following the 2024 European elections analysed the most common reasons that encouraged people to vote. It found that 42 per cent voted due to rising prices, with the cost-of-living being the most common reason.

Nic Thighearnáin says “housing is a big part of that” along with energy. She

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says that young people in particular are affected by this along with vulnerable groups such as the elderly.

A 2025 European Commission study found that a lack of affordable housing is the most pressing issue for citizens in cities, towns, and suburbs. Nic Thighearnáin illustrates the widespread calls for EU action with political parties advocating for change in their manifestos and calls to action from across society.

In 2024, member states signed the Liège Declaration which affirmed that access to “affordable, decent, and sustainable housing for all in the European Union” is a fundamental right of EU citizens.

Additionally, the April 2024 report by former Italian Minister Enrico Letta, Much More Than A Market, called for the establishment of a housing task force. Nic Thighearnáin says the report “identified housing as a critical factor impeding freedom of movement”.

In July 2024, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced that she would appoint a commissioner with direct responsibility for housing, later appointing Dan Jørgensen. She also committed to the development of the European Affordable Housing Plan.

“The task force’s role is very much in coordinating and mobilising all elements of the Commission to do their bit,” says Nic Thighearnáin.

“Everyone has a piece to play in the housing issue because it is not just about the bricks and mortar. It is about having the skills, putting in the wraparound services. It is about having the organisations to actually do the work.”

Housing Ireland magazine

“Cutting red tape could be a game-changer if the Commission gets it right.”

Siobhán Nic Thighearnáin

Nic Thighearnáin praises Denmark for engaging with the task force during its EU presidency and says she expects Ireland to do the same when it takes over the presidency later this year.

She outlines how the landscape has changed between 2013 and 2024.

House prices in nominal terms have increased by more than 60 per cent across the EU, growing faster than household income. Average rents have grown by around 20 per cent, with new rents having grown significantly more.

Furthermore, residential buildings permits are down by 22 per cent since 2021, around 20 per cent of dwellings are unoccupied, with currently more than one million homeless people including 400,000 children across the EU. This results in social disruption and isolation, economic growth and mobility constraints, implications for health and wellbeing, and environmental concerns.

“Everything is going up where it should not and everything is going down where it should not,” says Nic Thighearnáin.

There are multiple problems that must be addressed. Investment in housing construction and renovation declined between 2022 and 2024, and residential building permits are down by 22 per cent since 2021. In the construction sector, productivity and innovation capacity are declining, the

cost of construction products has increased, and there are labour and skills shortages.

Regulations around planning, zoning, land management, and permitting are fragmented and hinder permit obtaining which has a financial impact on construction projects. Additionally, land remains scarce and is a costly resource for housing. Nic Thighearnáin asserts that better use of the existing building stock is needed, as around 20 per cent of dwellings and 9.7 per cent of offices are unoccupied.

Delivering affordable housing The European Affordable Housing Plan is built on four pillars, the first of which is ‘boosting housing supply’. Under this pillar, the plan aims to facilitate the strengthening of productivity and innovation in construction; cut red tape to accelerate supply; and combine affordability, sustainability, and quality in housing.

“Cutting red tape could be a gamechanger if the Commission gets it right,” says Nic Thighearnáin.

The second pillar is ‘mobilising investment’ and includes the revision of state aid rules to enable funding of social and affordable housing. It also sets an intention for the delivery of a pan-European investment platform.

The third pillar, ‘enabling immediate support while driving reforms’, aims to address short-term rentals in areas under housing stress, reduce speculation in the housing market, and drive forward structural reform in member states.

Nic Thighearnáin explains that the Commission aims to progress affordable housing legislation in 2026.

This is to contain measures to address short-term rentals and give member states options “to deal with them in a proportionate way”.

Under the fourth pillar, ‘protecting the most affected’, the plan aims to provide housing for young people, and address homelessness and support households and tenants in vulnerable situations.

The European Housing Alliance acts as the plan’s governance structure. Nic Thighearnáin explains that there will be a housing summit at some point in 2026, adding that it has become a political priority across member states.

“The other really important piece is the European Strategy for Housing Construction. Here we are talking about skills, modern methods of construction, digitalisation, simplification of the building permitting process,” says Nic Thighearnáin.

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Housing Ireland magazine

Environmental, Social and Governance in housing Director of Asset Management and Property Services, David McCourt, Chairperson, Gerry McDonogh, and CEO, Kieron Brennan launch the Co-operative Housing Ireland 2026-2030 ESG strategy.

In housing, ESG sits where policy, governance, and lived experience meet. Strategies and frameworks give it structure, but people measure it in warmer homes, safer communities, secure tenancies, and services that are there when they need them.

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For approved housing bodies, ESG has a direct role. Housing delivery is often counted at completion, yet the responsibility continues through decades of management, maintenance, investment, and community engagement. Homes need to perform well. Services need to respond. Member Tenants need clear information, safe neighbourhoods, and confidence that their housing provider will act when issues arise.

Co-operative Housing Ireland’s first Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Strategy 2026-2030, shows how closely these responsibilities are connected. It gives structure to work 38

already happening across homes, services, communities, and governance, with a stronger focus on evidence, accountability, and long-term outcomes.

The strategy is built around four pillars: environmental responsibility and climate action; providing safe, affordable, and secure homes; empowering people and communities; and upholding integrity, accountability, and good governance.

Retrofitting, energy performance, climate resilience, tenancy security, community building, data quality, and transparency all influence the standard of homes and services people receive.

The strategy also gives more weight to the parts of housing work that shape trust over time. Services that people understand and can rely on, for example: support before financial pressure escalates; action when antisocial behaviour affects a neighbourhood; and homes that are safe, accessible, and well managed.

For Co-operative Housing Ireland, these priorities sit across affordability, tenancy security, statutory safety checks, accessible design, Member Tenant engagement, community building, health, development and learning, digital inclusion, equality and diversity,

and colleague wellbeing. They show how ESG can strengthen the everyday relationship between a housing provider, its homes, and the people who live in them.

Co-operative Housing Ireland has strengthened this work through dedicated teams focused on issues that affect Member Tenants most directly.

Housing Ireland magazine

The neighbourhood team supports tenancy and estate management, helping to address everyday issues across homes and estates.

The income and financial inclusion team supports rent and arrears management while also focusing on wider financial wellbeing.

The safer neighbourhoods team supports Member Tenants experiencing anti-social behaviour or domestic abuse, with an emphasis on early intervention, prevention, and safety.

Together, these teams show how the strategy can move from framework to service delivery. They create clearer routes to support, earlier responses, and more focused help for the issues that affect whether people feel safe, settled, and supported.

This focus on people is also reflected in wider initiatives. Co-operative Housing Ireland’s first dedicated mental health programme, It Takes a Village, recognised the link between housing, community, and wellbeing. Its education bursary programme awarded four bursaries to support Member Tenants in learning and personal development.

At Westcourt in Dublin 8, Co-operative Housing Ireland completed a deep energy retrofit of 46 homes through the programme. The works improved the homes from an average BER of D1 to B1. Member Tenants reported better warmth, comfort, and quality of life. One Member Tenant said she no longer needed heavy clothing indoors. Another described her home as lovely and cosy,

with constant hot water and reliable warmth.

EnergyCloud offers another example of how practical thinking can improve the everyday experience of a home.

Through the partnership, selected Cooperative Housing Ireland homes took part in a pilot using surplus wind energy to provide free hot water.

Participating homes benefited on 114 nights last year, and the programme will expand to more homes in Fingal.

Renewable energy that might otherwise go unused can support household comfort and reduce pressure on Member Tenants.

For housing providers, good work also needs to be visible. Investment, services, and governance need to show clearly how they improve homes, support communities, and deliver value over time.

Co-operative Housing Ireland developed its strategy with KSN Horizon through policy review, engagement, and materiality assessment. Nearly 400 survey responses from Member Tenants, staff, board members, and external stakeholders helped shape the framework, bringing together views from the people who live in its homes, work with the organisation, and govern its work.

That process gave Co-operative Housing Ireland clearer insight into the issues that matter most to people closest to its homes and services. It also helped separate the areas where reporting can begin now from those where stronger data, systems, and processes will be built over the next three years.

Across the housing sector, ESG can help connect investment decisions with service quality, environmental performance, tenant wellbeing, and good governance.

ESG builds on a purpose that has guided Co-operative Housing Ireland since 1973, providing homes cooperatively, in partnership with communities and people who need secure, affordable housing. The new strategy gives that purpose a clearer structure for the years ahead.

The value of ESG lies in the change it can bring. For Co-operative Housing Ireland, that means safer homes, stronger communities, clearer services, warmer homes, and decisions that support Member Tenants over time.

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That long-term responsibility also applies to the homes themselves. Cooperative Housing Ireland has completed more than 350 deep energy retrofits since 2018 through its Improving Warmth and Wellbeing programme. It aims for all managed homes to reach a minimum BER B2 by 2035 and BER A2 or above by 2050, with an average of 110 retrofits per year.

Member Tenant Maura in her newly retrofitted home.

For more information: Contact details: Co-operative Housing Ireland, 11-12 Warrington Place, Dublin, D02 E221 T: +353 1 661 2877 E: admin@cooperativehousing.ie 39

Housing Ireland magazine

Eoin Ó Broin TD:

‘Homelessness is an eminently solvable problem’ Sinn Féin housing spokesperson Eoin Ó Broin TD sits down with Ciaran Brennan to discuss Sinn Féin’s alternative homelessness strategy, how he believes the private rental sector should be structured, and alternatives to the Government’s housing policies.

Eoin Ó Broin TD is speaking following the publication of Sinn Féin’s alternative homelessness strategy, An Emergency Response To The Homeless Crisis, in May 2026. It calls for a five-year plan to end long-term homelessness, and an update and extension of the Youth Homelessness Strategy to 2030 along with the incorporation of a child homeless strategy.

Discussing the plan’s measures, Ó Broin says: “They are all eminently sensible, they are doable, and even though homelessness is at a level we have never seen before, it is an eminently solvable problem within a five-year period.”

On homelessness prevention, it calls for a row back on cuts to the Tenant-In Situ and Social Housing Acquisition schemes, an emergency ban on evictions,

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and a three-year ban on rent increases. It also calls for a full month’s rent to be returned to renters.

Sinn Féin has long been promising to put a full month’s rent “back into renters’ pockets”. Ó Broin notes the challenge of delivering this, saying: “Renters are paying different levels of rent in different locations and we need to have the scheme very efficient.”

He explains that there would be both a minimum and maximum of how much renters would get. When asked if this meant some renters would not get the full amount of rent, he says it would be capped at €2,000 per person. However, he contends that these are rents for “luxury properties”, adding that the “overwhelming majority of renters”, will receive the full month’s rent.

The plan also calls for the number of Housing First tenancies to be doubled each year; and delivery of a multiannual stream of small infill social housing schemes.

This is aimed at initially ending homelessness for over-55s before being used to enable age-friendly rightsizing. This is intended to free up larger family homes to exit families with children from emergency accommodation.

On increasing supply, the plan suggests increasing funding and cutting red tape in the delivery of homes by local authorities and AHBs. It also sets an aim to double allocation from new and existing social housing stock for people in or at risk of homelessness.

Private rental sector Ó Broin asserts that the private rental sector has an important role to play, but says: “As the private rental sector increases in size, housing insecurity, housing inequality, and housing unaffordability rises.”

He says that the goal should be to see the private rental sector as a percentage of overall housing stock decline from its current level of approximately 20 per cent to around 10 per cent. The housing spokesperson asserts that the delivery of social, affordable, and private-for-purchase homes should be prioritised.

“I have no objection to landlords making a reasonable return for providing a good quality service,” says Ó Broin.

“But the idea, which is government policy, that a dramatic increase in the supply of expensive, high-density private rental accommodation is the solution, completely misunderstands the problem.”

He asserts that the Government’s handling of affordable housing delivery is its “single biggest failure”. As a consequence, he says there is a growing number of working people on average and above average incomes “who cannot rent or buy”.

The Sinn Féin TD asserts that the Government’s approach is “further punishing renters with increased rents, increased insecurity”, and fails to provide a pathway to the housing type to meet their needs.

Planning When discussing overhauls that should be made to the State’s planning system, Ó Broin says: “There is an awful

Housing Ireland magazine

“There is an awful lot of rubbish talked about planning in our political and public discourse.The overwhelming majority of our planning system actually works very well.” lot of rubbish talked about planning in our political and public discourse. The overwhelming majority of our planning system actually works very well.”

However, he adds: “There are certain types of planning applications where there are real challenges.” Ó Broin says statutory timeliness must be introduced at all sections of the planning process for all developments, and asserts that this would require an additional three to four hundred staff in planning authorities.

The Sinn Féin TD says only a small number of projects are subject to judicial review, but the they “tend to be very significant ones”. Asserting that judicial reviews take too long, he suggests this is because there are only three judges presiding over planning environmental cases. Ó Broin says there should be six “at a minimum”.

“Planning decisions have to be done in a timely manner, so they are good quality decisions that make the social, economic, and environmental needs of the State,” he adds.

Government Ó Broin describes himself as “unusual”, as he has presided over the same portfolio for the last decade. In that time, there has been four different housing ministers: Simon Coveney, Eoghan Murphy, Darragh O’Brien TD, and current minister James Browne TD. “There is a frustration because each minister repeats many of the mistakes of their predecessors,” says Ó Broin.

Under Browne, the Department of Housing published the Government’s latest housing plan, Delivering Homes, Building Communities, in November 2025. Ó Broin says it is “exactly the

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Housing Ireland magazine

“Even if we get an increase in homes, they are not going to be the right kind of homes to meet the right kind of need, at the right price, in the right place.”

same as Darragh O’Brien’s previous housing plan”, Housing For All, in the areas of social and affordable housing provision, vacancy and dereliction, and homelessness.

However, the Sinn Féin TD identifies three new policies introduced by Browne: a “reduction in the design standards for new apartments”, a €640 million VAT reduction over two years for the development of new apartments, and “the removal of rent regulation between tenancies”.

He says these are designed to attract large-scale international institutional investment into the market to enable the delivery of “high-density, high-cost, high-rise apartment developments”. Ó Broin argues that this will likely only increase some apartment supply in Dublin and Cork, and it will have no impact anywhere else “because big institutional investors are not interested” in anywhere else. He also claims it will deliver “smaller, darker, much, much more expensive apartments”, which will not put downward pressure on rental prices.

He asserts that it will not achieve the Government’s goal of delivering 300,000 homes by 2030, adding: “Even if we get an increase in homes, they are not going to be the right kind of homes to meet the right kind of need, at the right price, in the right place.”

‘Hurling from the ditch’ When asked about the common criticism of Sinn Féin as being a party that ‘hurls from the ditch’, Ó Broin disputes it: “The accusation of hurling from the ditch is you just criticise and you have no alternatives.

“I spend more of my time talking about the alternatives than I do the criticisms,” he says. “I am repeatedly on record saying we will work with them on things if they want to bring forward ideas.”

Demonstrating this, Ó Broin claims he has offered to work with the Government to improve the Cost Rental Scheme, but says that Browne “just is not interested in the conversation”. He says many people who should be eligible for this scheme are excluded because they do not earn enough, yet they earn too much for social housing.

The Sinn Féin TD also criticises the Government’s engagement with The Housing Commission which was established under the 2020 Programme for Government to examine housing provision issues. It published its report in May 2024. Ó Broin claims that Darragh O’Brien “refused to meet” the Commission when he was minister. He continues: “The current minister has met them once and none of the proposals in this report are contained in the Minister’s housing plan.”

One of the key recommendations in the report was the establishment of a housing delivery oversight executive, an entity with power to address functional failures and implement reforms in housing. Sinn Féin includes the establishment of the entity in its housing plan. Ó Broin says: “No absence of alternatives, no lack of different ways to tackle this crisis, the central problem is political will. The Government has ignored their own commission, they are ignoring our alternatives.

“We are in for senior hurling, but we are on the pitch.”

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electricians, helping to simplify installation while supporting consistent system performance. Practical, installer-friendly features streamline handling, positioning, and system integration on site.

Smart pre-plumbed models further simplify installation through factoryfitted components, helping to reduce time on site and support consistent system set-up.

Grant founder Stephen Grant (left) and CEO Niall Fay.

Grant announces €8 million investment Leading manufacturer of sustainable home heating solutions Grant has launched a new generation of hot water cylinders designed to optimise the performance of modern heat pump systems.

Designed and manufactured at Grant’s state-of-the-art facilities in Birr, County Offaly, the new Quick Recovery Cylinder range is backed by an €8 million investment in product development and a significant expansion of the company’s production facilities.

This investment increases manufacturing capacity to support growing demand for high-performance, heat pump-ready hot water solutions across Ireland, the UK, and Europe, while reinforcing Grant’s long-term commitment to innovation and Irish manufacturing.

Unlike standard cylinders adapted for renewable systems, the new Grant Quick Recovery Cylinder range has been developed specifically for lowtemperature operation, enabling installers and specifiers to maximise the

Featuring high-efficiency heat exchange coils and optimised internal design, the cylinders are engineered to deliver rapid heat-up times and consistent hot water availability, even under demanding usage profiles. The range also supports faster recovery and improved system responsiveness which are key requirements for modern, well-insulated homes.

The new Grant Quick Recovery cylinders have been developed to meet the practical and technical requirements of today’s heating professionals, combining strong thermal performance with long-term reliability.

The range is available in capacities from 150 to 300 litres, with standard, slimline, smart pre-plumbed, and smart integrated configurations to suit a wide variety of installation requirements.

Suitable for both new build and deep retrofit applications, the cylinders provide flexibility across a broad range of residential projects.

The launch further strengthens Grant’s integrated home heating solution, offering consultants, housing developers, local authorities, installers, and homeowners a complete heating solution including heat pumps, cylinders, and controls which are all designed to work seamlessly together.

This single-manufacturer approach streamlines specification and installation while helping to ensure optimal system performance.

Grant also provides a free heating design and specification service, supporting consultants, developers, and installers with heat loss calculations, system layouts, and detailed product specification to help optimise overall heating system performance.

Commenting on the launch, Stephen Grant, founder of Grant said: “As heat pump adoption continues to grow, the role of the cylinder in overall system performance has never been more important.

“Our new Quick Recovery cylinders have been specifically developed to work in harmony with low-temperature systems, delivering the recovery performance, efficiency, and reliability that installers and homeowners expect.

Our investment in design and manufacturing reflects our long-term commitment to innovation and to supporting the heating industry with high-quality, future-ready solutions.”

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As Ireland continues to deliver more energy-efficient new homes and undertake deep retrofit projects, every component within a heating system has an important role to play in achieving long-term performance and occupant comfort.

efficiency and overall performance of air source heat pump systems.

Housing Ireland magazine

Combined with Grant’s established technical and training support, the new cylinders provide a dependable, straightforward solution for specifying and installing integrated heating systems.

W: www.grant.ie LinkedIn: GrantEngineeringULC Youtube: @GrantEngineeringIE

The range has also been shaped by valuable feedback from installers and 43

Housing Ireland magazine

Along with state-of-the-art homes, the Dunsink City Quarter will have public open spaces and family-friendly amenities to help create a sustainable and connected community.

Fingal unlocking land, delivering homes, and building communities

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Housing remains one of Ireland’s most significant challenges as demand for homes continues to grow.

In Dublin, Fingal County Council is taking major steps to increase housing supply, support sustainable development, and create communities backed by modern infrastructure.

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Following the Government’s request for local authorities to review development plans to accommodate revised housing targets, Fingal County Council brought forward a variation to the Fingal Development Plan 2023-2029. This will facilitate approximately 5,000 additional homes, increasing the county’s future housing capacity from 35,000 to 40,000 homes.

Mayor of Fingal, Councillor Tony Murphy, says the increased housing capacity demonstrates the council’s commitment to planning for future growth and ensuring that communities can continue to develop in a sustainable way: “Fingal is a county that continues to attract people to live, work and invest, and it is important that we plan ahead to accommodate that growth.

Underpinned by more than 1,000 hectares of zoned residential land, the variation will help meet future housing demand in sustainable locations supported by infrastructure and public transport. The additional capacity will be provided across the county, including at Dunsink, Barnhill, Clonsilla, Balrothery, Skerries, Lusk, Malahide, Kinsealy, and Clongriffin.

“The additional housing capacity provided through the variation strengthens our ability to deliver new homes, while ensuring that development is supported by the infrastructure, amenities, and services needed to create strong and successful communities.

“This approach will help us meet future demand while continuing to enhance the county as a place where people can

build their lives and communities can prosper.”

A key element of the variation is the inclusion of Dunsink City Quarter, one of the most significant strategic development opportunities in the Dublin region. The area has the potential to deliver approximately 18,500 homes over time, with an initial 2,500 homes included as part of the recent variation.

Director of Planning and Development at Fingal County Council, Róisín Burke, says the variation demonstrates how the planning system can respond proactively to future housing requirements while ensuring growth is carefully managed.

“This variation to the Fingal Development Plan provides the framework needed to accommodate revised housing targets in a coordinated and sustainable way. By identifying additional capacity in key locations across the county, the variation strengthens our ability to plan for growth while ensuring development is aligned with infrastructure, transport provision, and the creation of complete communities. It reflects a plan-led approach that balances the need for new housing with the long-term environmental, social, and economic objectives of the county.”

Housing Ireland magazine

The vision for Dunsink City Quarter includes new homes supported by schools and enhanced transport connections, helping to create a well-served community for future generations.

Dunsink: A new city quarter for Dublin At the heart of Fingal’s long-term housing ambitions is Dunsink City Quarter, a landmark development proposed on a 435-hectare site between Castleknock, Blanchardstown, and Dublin city centre. The area represents the largest remaining greenfield landbank within the M50 and provides a unique opportunity to create a sustainable new community in Dublin.

The vision for Dunsink extends beyond housing, combining new homes with schools, parks, community facilities, employment opportunities, and cultural amenities while protecting heritage assets including Dunsink Observatory, the Royal Canal, and the Tolka Valley.

“As one of the most significant residential developments ever proposed in the Dublin region, Dunsink will play a vital role in helping Fingal meet future housing needs while ensuring that homes are supported by the transport

The overall vision of the draft plan is to create a well-connected, climate-resilient community, delivering up to 18,500 homes over three phases, alongside schools, community facilities, employment space, active travel infrastructure, and the transformation of the former landfill area into a major regional park.

The Government has acknowledged Dunsink’s strategic importance with the recent allocation of some €20 million funding from the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage’s Housing Infrastructure Investment Fund to support the infrastructure improvements needed to develop the lands.

Director of Housing at Fingal County Council, Paul Carroll, says the proposals for Dunsink provide the foundation for a new community where housing, services, and infrastructure evolve together: “As one of the fastest growing counties in the country, Fingal County Council has consistently demonstrated our ability to successfully deliver infrastructure and housing at scale.

“As we continue to face significant housing demand across the Dublin region, we will build on that experience to realise our vision for Dunsink to include much-needed homes alongside the schools, community facilities, parks, services, and transport connections that are essential to creating a sustainable community. We will deliver a range of homes, including social, affordable, cost rental, as well as private housing, ensuring people at all stages of life can find a place to call home.”

With increased housing capacity now in place and plans progressing for Dunsink City Quarter, Fingal County Council is delivering on its ambition to provide more homes, stronger communities, and the infrastructure needed to support them.

These initiatives will play a significant role in meeting housing demand and enhancing quality of life across the county for years to come.

Fingal County Council W: www.fingal.ie/housing-services

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Chief Executive of Fingal County Council, AnnMarie Farrelly, says the project has the potential to transform how housing and community development are delivered in the Dublin region: “Dunsink City Quarter represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to deliver much-needed homes at scale while creating a vibrant, inclusive community for people to live, work, and thrive.

links, community facilities, schools, parks and services that people need. Our ambition is to create a sustainable, wellconnected place that enhances quality of life and provides a strong foundation for future growth.”

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Housing Ireland magazine

Social housing reforms may increase housing insecurity Reforms to social housing enacted in July 2026 may increase housing insecurity with pronounced impacts for the most vulnerable in society, human rights experts have warned.

The Housing and Residential Tenancies (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2026 stipulates that applicants must be lawfully resident and habitually resident in the State to receive social housing support. This is aimed at ensuring the State takes a consistent approach to the provision of social entitlements.

During a Dáil Éireann debate in July 2026, Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage James Browne TD said a “safety net service” has been introduced “to guard against an increase in rough sleeping” arising from this. This is to enable local authorities to provide emergency accommodation to those deemed ineligible for homeless supports and services.

The service is confined to circumstances where a local authority has determined that someone is ineligible for homeless supports due to their residency status. It is to be provided by local authorities and operated on “a night-to-night” basis.

“This is to allow local authorities to reassess the circumstances each day to determine that the safety net should still be provided,” said Minister Browne.

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Local authorities’ grounds to withdraw the provision of homeless accommodation are to be expanded to include “the refusal of a reasonable offer of social housing”. The expansion also includes circumstances where someone engages in behaviour causing or intended to cause serious harm or death to another user or staff member of the emergency accommodation. Should a local authority withdraw the provision of homeless accommodation, this may be appealed.

The Act provides for additional eligibility criteria for access to certain services provided to homeless people and the withdrawal of these services in certain cases. It also provides for an appeal in respect of such withdrawal.

Additionally, it makes provision in relation to the conduct of mediations, adjudications and tribunal hearings, and the determination of disputes by the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) along with the enforcement of such determinations.

Housing Ireland magazine

“This legislation must be judged not simply on whether it is legally permissible or whether it provides clarity to local authorities; but on its real-world impact on people’s ability to access housing and avoid homelessness.”

Liam Herrick, Irish Human Rights Equality Commission The legislation increases the penalties for summary offences and provides for the service of fixed payment notices in respect of certain offences under the Residential Tenancies Act 2004. The 2026 Act also provides that the 2004 Act shall not apply to certain dwellings.

It introduces an obligation on local authorities to have regard to the best interests of children when making decisions on the available accommodation to be provided to a family with children assessed as homeless.

Households may appeal a housing authority’s decision that they are not qualified, no longer qualified, or a particular form of social housing support is the appropriate form of support.

Residency rules The new requirement for social housing applicants to be lawfully resident and habitually resident in the State has been criticised by human rights and housing experts. Previously, under the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009, one member of a household needed to prove habitual residency.

Under the new Act, all members of the household – excluding children – will need to prove this.

Koldo Casla, UN special rapporteur on adequate housing, wrote to the Government in August 2026 to raise human rights and equality concerns arising from the legislation. Casla raised concerns that the Act could lead to entire households being denied social housing support because of one household member’s residency status.

He said it this could have significant consequences for trafficking victims, people who have experienced domestic and gender-based violence, migrant communities, and other vulnerable groups. The special rapporteur on housing also said the Act could lead to an increase in rough sleeping.

Casla stated that nationality and migration status are not sufficient grounds on which to exclude people from their human rights. He said any differential treatment must be justified as necessary, reasonable, and proportionate.

The housing expert asserted that any laws or policies that reduce the protection of the right to housing should involve meaningful engagement with people affected, must be nondiscriminatory, and must ensure the rights of the most disadvantaged are not disproportionately affected.

Casla called on the Government to explain how the new measures comply with the principles of legality, reasonableness, necessity, proportionality, transparency, and impact assessment including their impact on particularly vulnerable groups.

The Irish Human Rights Equality Commisssion (IHREC) says it “raised concerns about the legislation directly with the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage in correspondence” in June and July 2026.

“In addition, as the legislation passed, IHREC raised concerns about the manner in which this legislation was rushed through without adequate scrutiny, meaningful consultation, or a proper human rights impact assessment,” the IHREC says.

Chief Commissioner Liam Herrick says: “We now have an independent UN human rights expert raising significant concerns about the potential impact of the legislation on some of the people who are most vulnerable to homelessness and housing insecurity.

“This legislation must be judged not simply on whether it is legally permissible or whether it provides clarity to local authorities; but on its real-world impact on people’s ability to access housing and avoid homelessness.”

During a Dáil Éireann debate in July 2026, Minister Browne said: “These legislative reforms are building on existing policy and procedures which, in the first instance, define social housing as a long-term housing support and, therefore, successful applicants must be in a position to demonstrate that they have a long-term entitlement to reside in the State, that is, that their permission to reside here is not temporary or short-term.”

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Housing Ireland magazine

How The Housing Agency supports learning in the housing sector As Ireland’s housing system continues to evolve, the need for well-trained, knowledgeable, and confident housing professionals has never been greater, writes Dympna Clerkin, Training and Information Manager, The Housing Agency.

Delivering social, affordable, and sustainable housing requires investment not only in homes and infrastructure, but also in the people who plan, deliver, and manage housing services.

Recognising this need, The Housing Agency has made education, training, and professional development a key priority, helping to build capacity across local authorities, approved housing bodies, and the wider housing sector.

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Through a range of initiatives and partnerships, the agency supports both new entrants and experienced practitioners to develop the skills and knowledge required to meet current and future housing challenges.

Among its recent initiatives are the Social and Affordable Housing Apprenticeship Programme and the Housing Essentials webinar series, both designed to strengthen professional expertise across the sector.

A growing focus Housing has become increasingly complex in recent years. Professionals are expected to understand a broad 48

scope of issues including housing policy, regulation, legislation, finance, tenancy management, homelessness responses, community development, land use, accessibility requirements, and sustainability objectives.

To support this changing environment, The Housing Agency invests in learning opportunities that are practical, accessible, and career-relevant. By hosting conferences, webinars, and partnerships with education providers, the agency promotes a culture of continuous professional development.

It also facilitates the Housing Training Network, which brings together organisations that deliver housingrelated training, education, resources, and events. By sharing expertise and coordinating learning opportunities, the network helps strengthen skills, build sector capacity, and advance the professionalisation of housing in Ireland.

This commitment reflects a recognition that successful housing delivery depends on skilled professionals who can apply both policy and practical knowledge to meet the evolving needs of communities.

A new entry route One of the most significant developments in housing education is the Social and Affordable Housing Apprenticeship Programme, an important ‘earn-while-you-learn’ initiative scheduled to launch in autumn 2026, subject to QQI approval.

Developed through collaboration between housing and education stakeholders, the programme will create a structured pathway into housing careers. Apprentices will spend four days a week gaining hands-on experience as trainee housing officers with a local authority or approved housing body, while dedicating one day to formal classroom learning.

The programme was developed through close collaboration between the City of Dublin Education and Training Board (CDETB), local authorities, approved housing bodies, the Local Government Management Agency (LGMA), the Irish Council for Social Housing (ICSH), and The Housing Agency.

The apprenticeship aims to address a key challenge facing the sector: attracting and developing the next generation of housing professionals. By combining recognised training with practical workplace experience, it will help expand the talent pool available to housing organisations across Ireland.

For employers, the programme offers an opportunity to develop future professionals with the skills needed to meet local housing needs. For participants, it provides valuable work experience, formal learning, and clear career progression, making housing an attractive option for school leavers, career changers, and those seeking opportunities in a growing sector.

Housing Ireland magazine

Housing Essentials Alongside creating new pathways into housing careers, The Housing Agency has also introduced Housing Essentials, a free webinar series designed to build understanding of Ireland’s housing system.

Launched in June 2026, Housing Essentials is aimed at those new to housing as well as experienced staff seeking a practical refresher. The series was developed in response to the complexity of the housing sector, where multiple policies, organisations, supports, and delivery structures can make it difficult for people to gain a clear understanding of how the system operates.

Topics include an overview of Ireland’s housing system, social housing operations, affordable housing supports, and inclusive housing approaches. Participants gain insights into areas such as housing policy and

By making the programme free and available online, The Housing Agency has ensured that practitioners throughout the country can access learning opportunities regardless of location or organisational size.

architecture, with its own body of knowledge, specialist skills, and career pathways, The Housing Agency is supporting the development of a highly skilled and confident workforce.

Through practical, accessible, and career-focused learning opportunities, the agency is helping to ensure the sector has the expertise needed to deliver high-quality homes, effective services, and sustainable communities for the future.

Investing in people The Social and Affordable Housing Apprenticeship Programme and Housing Essentials webinar series demonstrate The Housing Agency’s commitment to supporting learning at every stage of a housing professional’s career. One creates a pathway into the sector, while the other strengthens knowledge and understanding among existing professionals.

Together, these initiatives represent a strategic investment in people as well as housing delivery and support the agency’s wider ambition to contribute to the professionalisation of the housing sector.

By helping to establish housing as a distinct professional discipline, comparable to planning and

Visit the Housing Training Network website: https://housingtraining.ie Find out more about housing education bursaries: https://www.housingagency.ie/housin g-education-bursary-scheme-20262027

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Delivered by subject matter experts from across The Housing Agency, the five-part series consists of focused onehour webinars that help participants build confidence, understand key terminology, and apply learning in their day-to-day roles.

legislation, housing allocation processes, affordable purchase and cost rental schemes, as well as initiatives including Housing First and accessible housing.

https://www.ballsbridgecollege.com/c ourses/business-administrationlaw/fintech-financial-technology-skills/ To keep up to date on courses and activity happening, sign up to The Housing Agency newsletter: https://www.housingagency.ie/newslet ter/

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Sustain ab Gaeltac le Rural and ht Hous Nationa ing l Plannin

DRAFT

Sustainable Rural and Gaeltacht Housing DRAFT National Planning Statement (Subject to assessment for the purposes of Strategic Environmental Assessment and Appropriate Assessment)

g Statem ent (Subjec t to Strategic assessment fo r En Appropria vironmental As the purposes of te Assess sessmen t and ment)

June 20 26

Housing Ireland magazine

June 2026

Prepared Housing, by the Departme nt Local Go gov.ie vernment of and Herita

ge

Prepared by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage gov.ie

Ending the ‘Eircode lottery’ Ahead of the publication of the final National Planning Policy Statement at the end of 2026, the Government has announced its support for a nationwide planning framework which would move away from the authority-by-authority approach to rural and Gaeltacht housing policy.

The proposal, published in June 2026, would establish a more nationally standardised framework for rural housing, while applying differentiated planning criteria according to the characteristics and development pressures of individual rural areas.

Under the proposed policy, rural settlements with fewer than 1,500 people would no longer be subject to ‘local needs’ criteria. Applicants could therefore seek planning permission for a dwelling in such settlements without demonstrating a defined period of local residency or family and social connections to the area. Proposals would remain subject to standard planning, siting, design, environmental, and infrastructure requirements.

The principal restriction would instead apply to open countryside surrounding cities, larger towns, and commuter areas. These locations would be formally designated as ‘rural areas under urban influence’. Within these 50

areas, applicants would generally be required to demonstrate a genuine local economic or social need. The standard social-need criterion would comprise having lived or worked within up to 10km of the proposed site for at least seven years, with potentially more stringent 3km/10-year requirements applying in areas experiencing particularly high development pressure.

Conversely, in wider rural areas outside areas of significant urban influence, the framework would adopt a considerably more permissive approach. Applicants would generally be able to seek planning permission for a dwelling without demonstrating a local connection, subject to the applicable planning, environmental, siting, and design criteria.

A significant change would also apply within Gaeltacht areas. New single rural dwellings would remain subject to localneeds criteria, while applicants demonstrating B2-level spoken Irish

could benefit from greater flexibility in satisfying the social needs test.

Minister for Housing, Local Government James Browne TD says: “This new statement, when finalised, will replace the current guidelines with a clearer, more consistent national approach to the delivery and assessment of new housing in rural and Gaeltacht areas, ensuring that planning decisions are transparent, evidence-based, and applied consistently across all local authorities, and will meet the local housing needs of rural communities.”

Gaeltacht Minister Dara Calleary TD says: “The draft policy strengthens the planning system’s support for the Irish language in Gaeltacht areas, making it clearer and more consistent by setting out the language criteria, which may be submitted with applications for new single rural dwellings and requiring a proportion of multi-unit developments to be lived in by Irish speakers.”

National Retrofitting Conference 2026 Sponsored by

In partnership with

24th NOV

SAVE THE DATE!

Tuesday 24th November · The Johnstown Estate, Co. Meath The National Retrofitting Conference, now in its fifth year, will convene key players involved in the Government’s ambitious area-based, one-stop-shop approach to retrofitting. The objective of the conference is to discuss progress to date and to share any learning from the implementation of the programme. It is also relevant to those organisations that may be interested in getting involved.

Key themes: • Update on the National Retrofitting programme;

• Public sector buildings retrofitting programme;

• One-stop-shop approach for retrofitting;

• Energy retrofitting in local authority housing;

• Case study: retrofitting in the social housing sector;

• Developing the retrofitting supply chain in Ireland;

• International case study in adopting heat pumps;

• Energy retrofitting of commercial buildings; and

• Developing green skills for energy retrofitting;

• Engaging the construction sector in the retrofitting programme.

Exhibition opportunities available!

There are a limited number of opportunities for interested organisations to partner with the conference as an exhibitor. This is an excellent way for organisations to raise their profile with a key audience of senior decision-makers from across Ireland. For more information on packages available at the event contact Rebecca Sterritt on 01 661 3755 or email rebecca.sterritt@energyireland.ie

Register now: Online

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Housing Ireland magazine

Progress in Irish housing policy frictions disproportionately affect apartments and urban schemes, where scale and complexity amplify risk.

Demographic data from the CSO points to continued strong population growth, increased household formation and persistent structural undersupply, particularly in the Greater Dublin Area/Mid East and other urban areas.

First time buyers remain central, supported by Help to Buy and First Home Schemes, although the €500,000 upper threshold on the Help-to-Buy scheme is out of date having been set eight years ago. Demand for energy efficient homes continues to grow, reflecting both running cost awareness and lender incentives.

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Irish housing policy has moved meaningfully over the past two years, writes Donald MacDonald, Director at Hooke and MacDonald.

The shift from the previous government’s strategy Housing for All to Delivering Homes, Building Communities 2025-2030, combined with new compact housing and revised apartment guidelines, fiscal supports, and the establishment of the Housing Activation Office, represents substantive change rather than cosmetic re-branding.

At national level, this is now widely viewed as a coherent framework. The OECD has described Ireland’s housing strategy as comprehensive in scope, while stressing that implementation speed will determine outcomes. Policy direction is no longer the primary constraint; execution is.

However, that same analysis flags growing delivery stress at local and project level.

Zoning remains uneven across local authorities. Serviced land is scarce in precisely the regions with the strongest demographic growth. Planning timelines, while improving, remain vulnerable to delay through appeals and judicial reviews. These 52

Attention has turned to downsizing and right sizing. The Central Bank’s April 2026 decision to exempt certain principal residence bridging loans from loan to income limits reflects a recognition of a long standing market inefficiency: asset rich, income poor households, often older owner occupiers, were effectively blocked from moving. This targeted adjustment is explicitly designed to improve market liquidity without weakening lending standards.

The impact of the changes in the cost landscape as a result of the war in the Middle East is still yet to be determined, but it is already impacting construction costs and new supply, bringing added risk to projects and impacting viability.

Demand for new homes in Ireland is at an all-time high, particularly from firsttime buyers, largely as a result of the bulging demographics and an Irish economy with many strong fundamentals, including Exchequer surpluses. Supply is increasing steadily but not yet at a pace that will match government targets or homebuyer needs.

The building industry has been playing its part by acquiring multiple sites, where available, seeking planning

Legacy Background to Ireland’s Housing Supply Shortfall

HOUSING COMPLETIONS

AV E R AG E N O. O F COMPLETIONS PER ANNUM

E S T. D E M A N D @ 4 8 , 0 0 0 P. A .

(H I S TO R I C)

E S T. S H O R T FA L L IN HOUSING COMPLETIONS

2011-2014

21,998

5,500

192,000

170,002

2015-2018

49,281

12,320

192,000

142,719

2019-2022

91,888

22,972

192,000

100,112

2023-2026

120,000

30,000

192,000

72,000

Totals

283,167

17,698

768,000

484,833

Housing Ireland magazine

4 -Y E A R P E R I O D S

Source: CSO Analysis: Dr. Brian Hughes

permission in a difficult environment, developing larger sites at speed, producing superb quality, well designed, energy efficient new home developments and creating vibrant new communities around the country. All this, despite a considerable number of obstacles in the way of new homes delivery.

prices and reducing delivery viability. These include the concrete levy, carbon tax, Part V increased to 20 per cent and the water levy; •

shortage of availability of equity capital to assist small-and mediumsize developers to acquire land and fund early project stages;

•

cost and availability of debt finance for the acquisition of zoned and unzoned land;

Obstacles to delivery The obstacles to delivery include the following: •

•

•

planning decision delays and uncertainty, planning appeals, and judicial reviews; infrastructural deficits with lack of electricity, water, and other services; recent legislative changes allowing development plans to be extended by two years, while necessary, add another layer of complexity and risk;

•

design changes to make apartment delivery more viable being held up by court proceedings;

•

the regulatory costs that are mounting up, pushing up house

increased cost of building materials caused by the conflict in the Middle East; and

•

the prospect of rising inflation and interest rates.

Several positives On the positive side, there are several factors that are assisting homebuyers, particularly government and state initiatives: •

•

•

the Help to Buy Scheme, the First Home Scheme, the Affordable Purchase Scheme, and the Croí Cónaithe (Cities) Scheme; the formation of the ‘Accelerating Infrastructure Taskforce’ by the Government and the commitment to abide by its recommendations is hugely significant and helpful; the establishment of a Joint Utilities and Transport Clearing House to improve co-ordination between local authorities, utilities, and transport bodies;

the impressive performance by the Land Development Agency (LDA) in delivering an ever increasing supply and a range of tenures is very positive in solving the shortage of new homes. The healthy collaboration between the LDA and the private sector is working well and to the benefit of homebuyers and renters; and

•

the announcement by the Central Bank in April 2026 that it was dropping loan to income restrictions on certain ‘bridging loans’ for principal private residential properties, which will assist many people in downsizing to an alternative property.

New homes continue to be more popular with purchasers than existing properties, their energy efficiency being a big factor in this. This trend is likely to increase further if energy cost increases continue to be caused by the war in the Middle East.

Hooke & MacDonald, 118 Lower Baggot Street, Dublin 2 T: 01 661 0100

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•

insufficient zoned land for housing at affordable prices and a lack of urgency by some councils in finalising development plans and zoning sufficient land to match the latest population increases. At central and local levels, Ireland has been underproviding in terms of zoned land;

•

•

Donald MacDonald Director E: donaldm@hmd.ie W: www.hmd.ie

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Housing Ireland magazine

Unlocking construction with skills and MMC The Government’s housing plan, Delivering Homes, Building Communities 2025-2030, states that increasing construction sector capacity and adopting modern methods of construction (MMC) is key to increasing housing delivery.

While significant levels of public investment are being committed to housing, the action plan identifies that financial resources alone are insufficient to meet delivery targets. Instead, the capacity of the construction sector in terms of both workforce and productivity is presented as a key enabling factor in meeting the Government’s target of 300,000 new homes by 2030.

The Government’s approach therefore combines skills development with a shift towards more efficient construction methodologies.

Construction sector capacity Estimates indicate that between 69,000 and 79,000 additional workers will be required to meet housing demand over the lifetime of the plan, with the exact figure dependent on the level of MMC adoption.

To address this challenge, the Government has committed to expanding the pipeline of skilled workers entering the sector. Apprenticeships form a central component of this strategy, with a target of 12,500 new apprentices per annum by 2030, representing a significant increase on current levels.

Alongside apprenticeships, the action plan emphasises the importance of aligning education and training provision with industry requirements. The development of a national construction workforce 54

framework is intended to support a more coordinated approach to skills planning, bringing together government, education providers, and industry stakeholders.

In addition, there is a growing recognition that the nature of skills required within the sector is changing. The increased adoption of MMC requires expertise in areas such as off-site manufacturing, digital design, and advanced construction processes.

The action plan also highlights structural issues within the construction sector that impact productivity.

Approximately 97 per cent of construction firms employ fewer than 10 people, indicating a highly fragmented industry. While small- and medium-sized enterprises play an important role, this fragmentation has historically limited efficiency, innovation, and the ability to deliver large-scale projects.

To address these challenges, the Government aims to support firms in scaling up and adopting more collaborative approaches. Measures to promote lean construction practices and increased digitalisation are intended to improve efficiency, reduce waste, and enhance output.

The promotion of standardised housing design is another significant element of the MMC strategy.

Standardisation aims to facilitate more efficient production processes and enables greater use of off-site manufacturing techniques. The action plan indicates that standardised approaches may be mandated in certain contexts to maximise efficiency gains.

In parallel, efforts are being made to streamline certification processes for innovative construction methods. Improvements to the agrément system are intended to accelerate the approval of new technologies, reducing delays and enabling more rapid adoption across the sector. Pathfinder projects and pilot initiatives are to be supported to test new approaches and build industry confidence in MMC. Data collection and monitoring are identified as important supports for these initiatives. The development of a national dataset on MMC usage and performance is intended to inform policy decisions, track progress, and identify areas for improvement. This evidence-based approach is seen as critical to ensuring that innovation is effectively scaled.

Linking skills and MMC

Procurement reform is also identified as a key lever, with a new national procurement strategy expected to create a more accessible and efficient system for public projects, while encouraging greater participation from SMEs.

A recurring theme across the action plan is the interdependence between workforce development and MMC adoption. While MMC has the potential to reduce reliance on traditional on-site labour, it simultaneously increases demand for new skill sets.

Modern methods of construction (MMC)

The successful implementation of MMC therefore depends on the availability of a workforce capable of operating within a more technologically advanced construction environment.

Central to the Government’s strategy is the accelerated adoption of modern methods of construction. MMC encompasses a range of innovative building techniques, including modular construction, off-site manufacturing, and the use of pre-fabricated components. These methods offer the potential to significantly reduce construction timelines, improve quality, and enhance cost efficiency.

The action plan sets a clear target that at least 25 per cent of all new social and affordable homes will be delivered using MMC. This target is intended to create a stable pipeline of demand, providing certainty for industry and encouraging investment in new technologies and processes. Public housing programmes are identified as a key driver in this regard, with the State leveraging its substantial investment to stimulate market transformation.

However, the transition to MMC presents a number of challenges. Chief among these is the high upfront cost associated with adopting new technologies and establishing manufacturing capacity. To mitigate this, the Government intends to utilise funding mechanisms, including support from the Ireland Strategic Investment Fund, to reduce financial barriers and incentivise innovation.

Housing Ireland magazine

Productivity

Standardisation and innovation

Analysis The Government’s new housing plan differs from its predecessor, Housing for All, in that it formalises the need for MMC adoption through the construction industry and formally acknowledges the number of skilled workers as a matter of government policy.

While challenges remain, particularly in relation to industry structure and the cost of innovation, the measures outlined represent a concerted effort to move beyond traditional construction practices.

However, although apprenticeships are to be expanded, how the demand will be fulfilled in the short to medium term remains unclear, as there is no guarantee that these new apprenticeship places will be filled and the Government also aims to reduce immigration which could provide some of the skilled workers needed to meet the demand.

In addition, it is unclear given the continued challenges of inflation and supply chain flows, which are likely to continue amid the US-Israel war in Iran, if placing more construction requirements on new homes will result in them being affordable for the general public.

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Housing Ireland magazine

Backing SME builders to deliver more homes Increasing housing supply remains one of Ireland’s most significant challenges. The Government’s recent housing plan, Delivering Homes, Building Communities 2025-2030, set out challenging delivery targets in the years ahead, and achieving these targets will require a sustained increase in housing output across every region of the country.

While larger developers will continue to play an important role, small and medium-sized builders and developers also have a vital contribution to make in helping meet housing demand and delivering homes across Ireland.

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Many of these builders are deeply embedded in their local communities, bringing forward developments in locations that may not attract larger housebuilders.

Supporting these businesses to grow and increase delivery capacity represents an important opportunity for housing supply.

Recognising this, Home Building Finance Ireland (HBFI) commissioned KPMG to undertake a detailed study of the residential development sector. The resulting report, The Scaling Challenge, combined extensive market analysis with direct engagement through surveys and focus groups with builders and developers across Ireland. The objective was to better 56

understand the barriers facing builders and identify measures that could support increased housing delivery.

One of the key findings of the report was the fragmented nature of Ireland’s residential development sector. While larger developers account for a significant proportion of housing delivery, many smaller builders are delivering one project at a time and have ambitions to expand their activity, take on multiple sites, and deliver more homes. Surveys and focus groups confirmed a strong appetite for growth across the sector.

The research identified a number of barriers that can make it difficult for SME builders to scale their businesses and deliver more homes. These included planning uncertainty, infrastructure constraints, access to suitably serviced land, and access to development finance. While many builders

These findings have directly informed HBFI’s response.

As the State-backed lender focused on supporting viable residential development projects, HBFI’s role extends beyond simply providing finance. A key objective is to make the funding process more accessible and to support builders through each stage of their development journey.

One of the most important elements of this response has been the strengthening of HBFI’s regional engagement model. HBFI’s business development team operates across Ireland and works directly with builders, developers, advisors, local authorities, and other stakeholders in their local areas. This regional presence allows HBFI to engage with potential borrowers in a practical and accessible way while building a strong understanding of local markets. HBFI’s business development team regularly meets builders and developers on-site and in their local communities, providing an opportunity to discuss projects at an early stage and understand funding options before a formal application is submitted.

In addition to enhanced regional engagement, HBFI has introduced practical measures to address challenges raised by SME builders.

These include a simplified legal process for certain borrowers, helping to reduce complexity and improve the customer experience. Reduced project monitoring costs have also been introduced for eligible smaller developments, helping to lower some of the upfront costs associated with progressing projects. For qualifying schemes of 10 homes or fewer, HBFI contributes towards project monitoring costs, providing additional support for smaller-scale developments.

Recognising that builders also want easy access to information and guidance, HBFI recently launched a dedicated SME Hub. The Hub provides a single point of access for first-time and experienced borrowers, offering practical guidance, tools, resources, and information on the supports available from HBFI. It is designed to complement the support provided by the business development team and make it easier for builders to engage with HBFI at a time and pace that suits them.

These initiatives form part of HBFI’s broader commitment to supporting viable residential development projects and housing delivery across Ireland.

There is no single solution to Ireland’s housing challenge. However, the findings of The Scaling Challenge clearly demonstrate that SME builders and developers have an important role to play in increasing housing supply. By combining development finance with local engagement, practical support, and simplified processes, HBFI is focused on helping builders overcome barriers, scale their businesses, and deliver more homes in communities throughout Ireland.

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For many builders, particularly those accessing development finance for the first time, being able to speak directly to a local HBFI representative can be invaluable. Rather than expecting builders to travel to Dublin or navigate the process remotely, HBFI’s business development managers are available to meet potential customers on-site, visit development locations, and engage with borrowers in locations that suit them. Whether the discussion takes place on a construction site or over a coffee in a regional town, the focus is on understanding the project, answering questions and providing practical guidance from the outset.

This relationship-led approach helps builders understand the funding process, identify information requirements early and prepare stronger applications. For those new to development finance, early engagement can reduce uncertainty and build confidence.

Housing Ireland magazine

demonstrated strong ambitions for growth, the report highlighted the challenges involved in progressing from single-site delivery to operating across multiple projects simultaneously. Through surveys and focus groups, developers consistently highlighted the need for a more supportive environment that would enable them to grow sustainably and contribute more significantly to housing delivery.

Learn more about HBFI’s supports for SME builders and developers: W: www.hbfi.ie

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Housing Ireland magazine

Housing delivery in the North With less than one year until the next Northern Assembly election, the North’s Minister for Communities Gordon Lyons MLA gives an overview of his housing priorities.

Speaking at Housing Ireland’s Northern Ireland Housing Conference, Minister Lyons says that he is “committed to making a difference and delivering housing improvements for all our people”.

“I am going to ensure that even after my tenure as minister comes to an end. We will have a well-defined plan to tackle housing’s most complex issues.”

Lyons, who has been the North’s Communities Minister since February 2024, states that his new plan “is going to include innovative solutions, such as loan funding to deliver the first 300 new build intermediate rent homes, and the acquisition of up to 100 houses to deliver the new foundations programme, helping to prevent young people leaving care and becoming homeless”.

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Housing Ireland magazine

“I am making real progress with the implementation of the housing supply strategy, bringing the first cross-Executive action plan to the Executive this spring.”

Gordon Lyons MLA, Minister for Communities On social housing, the Minister states that around 5,000 new social homes are currently on site across Northern Ireland, and that “thanks to the money that I have secured in the December Monitoring Round at Stormont, we expect to start around 17,150 social homes this year”.

Lyons also asserts that he is “pressing” the Executive, of which he is a part, to “confirm budget allocation for next year as soon as possible, as well as delivering a proposal to make better use of public land, so we can deliver our PfG target”.

The North’s Warm Healthy Homes Strategy 20262036 aims to ensure everyone in the region lives in a warm, healthy home by tackling fuel poverty, improving energy efficiency, and supporting vulnerable households.

Speaking on this, Lyons says: “I brought forward the Warm Healthy Homes strategy, and will launch the Warm Healthy Homes Fund in 2027. The fund will offer a range of energy efficiency measures to support low-income households who are least able to pay for improvements.”

Lyons also says that he will “consult on strengthening” the private rented sector landlord registration scheme and notice to quit regulations.

“Our tenant participation strategy expired in 2020, so I will consult this year on a refreshed strategy that learns from the wealth of good practice that is in place, and which will help tenants to participate in the decisions that actually affect them.”

At the same time, Minister Lyons outlines how he is bringing forward legislation to “strengthen landlords’ powers to deal with antisocial behaviour” and that he will “soon be launching a consultation on new powers to tackle social housing tenancy fraud”.

On supply, he says: “Given current levels of need, every house matters. I am making real progress with the implementation of the housing supply strategy, bringing the first cross-Executive action plan to the Executive this spring.”

Concluding, Minister Lyons says that “much has been accomplished” over the last year, and affirms that he will continue to work with people right across the North’s housing sector to “ensure that together we make a real difference to the lives of people in Northern Ireland”.

Gordon Lyons MLA is the North’s Minister for Communities. Lyons has been an East Antrim MLA for the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) since 2015.

“I have consulted on a revised decent home standard for social housing, the first update to the standard in over 20 years, which has a strong focus on tenant wellbeing and comfort,” he says.

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Housing Ireland magazine

Translating EU housing interventions nationally

Carbery Housing Association welcomes the fact that homes retrofitted under the RED WoLF project are already saving money on energy bills while reducing their carbon footprint by as much as 80 per cent.

Housing and the increased delivery of homes for European Union citizens is becoming a central economic, social, and environmental issue across the EU, writes Donal McManus, CEO of The Irish Council for Social Housing (ICSH).

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The recent and first ever European Affordable Housing Plan, published in November 2025, articulated this clearly.

This is despite housing not being an EU competency under EU treaties, and housing policy and delivery the responsibility of individual member states.

EU influence in housing already exists However, that does not mean the EU has not had a role. Over many years, there have been the obvious spillover effects in areas such as with EU competition and internal market rules such as state aid notification, services of general economic interest (SGEI),

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procurement, macroeconomic financing rules on government expenditure/debt and classification, energy obligations, and commitments in areas of social exclusion such as homelessness.

Ireland has indeed also utilised EU funding programmes such as the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) in energy upgrades for local authority social housing. AHBs have accessed Interreg and EU social funds over the years to complement some of their own mainstream work, often as part of R&D. In addition, the Housing Finance Agency (HFA) has successfully utilised funding in agreements with the European Investment Bank (EIB) to fund increased

delivery of social and affordable housing as well as with the Council of Europe Development Bank.

Europeanisation Despite no EU competency for housing, there has been what is considered a Europeanisation of various housing practices across different borders designed for the local context. For example, cost rental housing delivery has been shared from mature social housing sectors such as Austria, Denmark, and the Netherlands, to Ireland, such as with the relatively new, yet growing, cost rental sector.

In turn, this learning from Ireland is uploaded to eastern European countries such as Hungary and Czechia, developing new forms of rental housing.

These mutual learning and exchanges have often been underestimated.

However, in the EU, they have been strengthened significantly over the past 40 years by active EU networks such as Housing Europe, the EU federation of national social housing federations, and the network on homelessness, FEANTSA.

Funding to scale up

Housing Ireland magazine

While there are a wide range of potential EU funding channels, they have often been difficult to navigate. It is only in recent years that more EU funding channels have been utilised by housing organisations within Ireland.

One example is the EIB technical support programme, ELENA, which local authorities have successfully accessed through various mechanisms to help upscale retrofitting.

This is a similar objective the AHB sector is trying to achieve, and it was included as one of the recommendations from the AHB Strategic Forum Report. The ICSH, together with The Housing Agency and AHBs, is exploring how an ELENA project for significantly increased AHB retrofit of poorly energy efficient homes could operate.

The EU Social Climate Fund, when it is approved, would provide a significant financial framework at national level for this scaled up AHB retrofitting to be undertaken. This would build on the improved retrofit financing arrangements for AHBs through the SEAI announced by the Government this year.

Ireland playing its part Successive Irish Governments have played prominent roles in the informal meetings of housing ministers which were more active at certain times over previous decades. Alongside this were national focal points in national housing ministries responsible for housing linked to EU matters which coordinated matters for informal ministers’ meetings.

Under the Irish Presidency, there is the proposed council recommendation on fighting housing exclusion which proposes a housing-led, person-led, and integrated response to homelessness.

Ireland aims for agreement ahead of adoption by the EPSCO in October 2026.

Additionally, under the Irish Presidency, it is expected that there will be further progress made through the publication

in September 2026 of the Affordable Housing Act and recommendations for areas under housing stress. In addition, an informal meeting of housing ministers and ministers responsible for homelessness will be an important opportunity to translate the increased political response to housing and homelessness into enhanced coordination between members states.

EU to enable delivery It is important to look to where the EU and its related institutions can provide added value and compliment national policy and initiatives. The new affordable housing plan points to new measures and instruments it will be examining to scale up investment in housing particularly to make housing more

affordable. The proposed EU investment platform is one such area.

It also plans to remove any delivery obstacles at EU and Commission level, and it is crucial there is a joined-up approach in the various parts of the Commission to ensure the successful rollout of the new European Affordable Housing Plan.

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With such an increased focus on housing at EU level, an informal meeting in Ireland under the Presidency should help reenergise housing as a priority with there now being a stronger common focus through the European Affordable Housing Plan.

Respond launched a cost rental development at Piper’s Square in Dublin 11 in summer 2026. Cairn has secured international certification from the Passivhaus Institute for the development.

W: www.icsh.ie

The Irish Council for Council for Social Housing (ICSH) is a member of Housing Europe and FEANTSA.

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Housing Ireland magazine

Housing Ireland 2026 Martin Whelan, The Housing Agency; Averil Power, Clúid Housing; Graham Doyle, Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage; Sharon Cosgrove, Oaklee; Sean O’Connor, Tuath Housing; and Aoife Watters, Respond.

The Housing Ireland conference 2026 took place on Thursday 5 March 2026 at Croke Park, Dublin. Over 400 delegates attended the event which was held in association with The Housing Agency, and sponsored

by Beauchamps and The Land Development Agency. The conference explored the challenges and tangible opportunities for Ireland’s housing practitioners as they seek to deliver 300,000 houses by 2030.

Delegates in attendance heard from speakers, both visiting and local, from organisations including the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage; Housing Diversity Network; European Commission; Residential Tenancies Board; and Clarion Housing Group.

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Mushtaq Khan, Housing Diversity Network, addresses delegates.

Sean Meally at the Ei Electronics exhibition stand.

Ciara Walsh and Conor Caulfield, PwC.

Monika Flanagan, Tuath Housing; Kate Joyce, The Land Development Agency; and Dan O’Riordan, Tuath Housing.

Kevin Dillon, Glenveagh and Fionn McPeake, Construction Industry Federation.

Delegates visit the LDA stand.

Olivia McCann and Susan Goulding, Respond.

Housing Ireland conference delegates.

Housing Ireland magazine

Delegates visit the Portakabin exhibition stand.

Daniel Lockley, Deloitte Ireland; Charles Coyle, The Land Development Agency; and Conor Delahunty, Royalton Developments Ireland.

Cathal Daughton, Oaklee Housing and Maitiú Ó Dónaill, Beauchamps.

Lynda O’Neill and Terry O’Malley, Flynn O’Driscoll.

Fidelma McManus, Beauchamps; Graham Doyle, Department for Housing, Local Government and Heritage; and John Coleman, Land Development Agency.

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Housing Ireland magazine

Building smarter: Modern methods supporting housing delivery

Oldtown Manor, Cavan Town, where 26 new family homes are being delivered through a partnership between North and East Housing Association, Cavan County Council, Aghafad Developments and Framespace.

As Ireland seeks to increase housing supply while maintaining quality, sustainability, and value for money, Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) are becoming an increasingly important part of the conversation.

In Cavan, one development provides a practical example of what that means on the ground, helping to address demand for social family homes while aligning with MMC objectives under the Government’s Delivering Homes, Building Communities 2025-2030 plan and Programme for Government.

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At Oldtown Manor, on the outskirts of Cavan Town, North and East Housing Association (NEHA), Cavan County Council, Aghafad Developments, and Framespace have come together to deliver 26 two- and three-bedroom turnkey homes using Light Gauge Steel (LGS) construction. The scheme is being funded through the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage’s Capital Advance Leasing Facility (CALF) and Housing Finance Agency (HFA) funding.

While modest in scale, Oldtown Manor demonstrates how modern construction methods can support housing delivery in regional Ireland, and how collaboration between housing bodies, local 64

authorities, developers, and manufacturers can bring new homes from design to delivery.

Rather than replacing traditional construction, MMC provides an enhanced approach that can improve efficiency, quality assurance, and programme certainty.

From factory floor to family home The homes at Oldtown Manor are being delivered using the Framespace Light Gauge Steel Building System, an NSAIcertified system combining off-site manufacturing with on-site assembly.

Structural wall and floor panels are manufactured in a controlled factory environment before being transported to site for installation.

Moving a significant portion of construction into a factory setting can improve quality control, reduce material waste, and minimise delays associated with weather and site conditions.

For developers and housing providers, the potential benefit is not simply speed, but greater predictability throughout the delivery process.

For Micheál Keohane, Aghafad Developments’ representative, the evolution of MMC is helping reshape how housing can be delivered in Ireland.

“Ireland’s housing challenge requires us to think differently about how we design and build homes. Modern Methods of Construction combine the efficiencies of manufacturing with the quality expectations of modern housing delivery. Projects such as Oldtown Manor show that MMC has become a practical solution capable of supporting the delivery of sustainable, high-quality homes at scale.”

MMC in practice The value of MMC is perhaps best understood through the homes it ultimately delivers rather than through construction processes alone.

At Oldtown Manor, the 26 homes comprise a mix of two-bedroom terraced units and three-bedroom semidetached and detached houses. They have been designed to achieve high levels of energy efficiency and include air-to-water heat pumps and modern ventilation systems.

Housing Ireland magazine

Importantly, there is little to distinguish the completed homes from those constructed using more traditional methods. Residents benefit from the same standards of design, comfort, and durability, while the development team benefits from the efficiencies associated with off-site manufacturing.

Oldtown Manor is not a prototype or demonstration project, but a residential development responding to real housing need.

The development also highlights the importance of partnership. Housing bodies, local authorities, developers, and manufacturers each bring different expertise to the delivery process, helping to turn innovative construction approaches into practical turnkey housing solutions.

According to Ramona McAvenue, Cavan County Council: “Oldtown Manor demonstrates the value of collaboration between local authorities, Approved Housing Bodies, and the private sector in delivering much-needed homes.

Through our partnership with North and East Housing Association and the wider project team, we are helping to provide high-quality family homes in Cavan Town. While modern methods of construction supported delivery, the true measure of success is the creation of sustainable communities and opportunities for families to access secure, long-term housing.”

Beyond a single development

NEHA sees potential benefits in programme certainty, predictable costs, and the ability to scale successful delivery models across multiple locations.

According to Pat Costelloe, Development Manager with NEHA: “Modern methods of construction are

becoming a practical delivery tool for housing providers across Ireland. Their value lies in programme certainty, consistent quality, and the ability to replicate successful models across multiple locations. Oldtown Manor demonstrates that MMC can be successfully applied to mainstream housing developments while delivering homes that integrate naturally into existing communities.”

Sustainability and longterm performance Sustainability is also increasingly influencing how new housing is designed, constructed, and operated.

At Oldtown Manor, modern construction methods are combined with highly insulated building systems, air-to-water heat pumps, and efficient ventilation systems to support strong environmental performance.

John Martyn, Interim CEO of NEHA, believes the conversation around sustainability must consider outcomes for residents as well as environmental performance.

“Sustainability in housing extends beyond energy ratings and building regulations. It is about creating homes that are efficient to operate, comfortable to live in, and built for long-term performance. Modern Methods of Construction can support these objectives by reducing waste, improving quality assurance, and helping deliver highly energy-efficient homes.”

Looking ahead Oldtown Manor is a local housing development serving a local community, but the experience in Cavan also provides a useful example for the wider housing sector.

As Ireland works to increase housing supply while responding to growing demand and climate challenges, developments such as Oldtown Manor demonstrate how MMC can complement traditional construction approaches while continuing to deliver quality, durable homes.

The lesson from Cavan is not that one construction method provides the answer to Ireland’s housing needs.

Rather, it demonstrates the value of broadening the approaches available to the sector and applying them where they can deliver results.

At Oldtown Manor, modern construction methods, strong partnerships, and a focus on long-term performance have come together to deliver high-quality homes while demonstrating how MMC can support housing supply in Ireland.

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For NEHA, Oldtown Manor forms part of a broader approach to housing delivery.

The organisation has identified MMC and sustainability innovation as important elements of its development strategy and is currently advancing a number of schemes incorporating modern construction approaches.

Factory-manufactured wall panels used in the delivery of Oldtown Manor, demonstrating how off-site construction can combine modern manufacturing techniques with traditional housing finishes.

W: www.northandeast.ie

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Housing Ireland magazine

Rory Hearne TD:

‘The case for a state construction company’ Ireland’s housing emergency is worsening by the day. The Housing Commission called for a “radical strategic reset” of housing policy, but we have yet to see this become a reality, writes Social Democrats housing spokesperson Rory Hearne TD. We in the Social Democrats want the State and the not-for-profit housing sector to directly deliver housing on a massive scale through a historic programme of social and affordable home building. This is what the State did in Ireland in the past through local authorities and the National Building Agency. Without such direct delivery, the radical reset required to solve the housing emergency cannot be achieved.

As a country, we have placed our economy and society in a very vulnerable situation, with the supply of housing hugely dependent on prevailing market conditions, and the whims, vagaries, and changing motivations of private financial institutions, real estate investor funds, the property industry, and for-profit developers.

Government spends a significant proportion of the housing capital budget buying housing from developers at prices dictated to them. Meanwhile a significant proportion of the current budget for housing is spent subsidising private home purchase via schemes that have been criticised by the ESRI and the

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Central Bank as serving mainly to keep prices artificially high, and to assist people who could already afford to buy homes to buy bigger ones.

This ‘strategy’ of throwing money at a failing market system seems primarily designed to create the impression that something big is being done, but serves mainly to inflate prices in the long run and maintain the same reliance on a private delivery model that has long failed us.

The boom-and-bust cycles generated by this model have left the Irish construction sector with far less capacity than is required to deliver on our housing and infrastructure needs.

That is why we believe that we need to shift to a Stateled direct delivery of housing which will involve an enhanced role for local authorities and approved housing bodies. The Social Democrats in government will create a new state construction company.

Housing Ireland magazine

“The potential for a state construction company to ensure everyone has a decent affordable home is huge. We should take this historic step to guarantee that young people have a future in this country.”

Social Democrats housing spokesperson, Rory Hearne TD

This state construction company would mean the State itself would have construction capacity, allowing government to move away from the current dependency on various private and market actors for the delivery of housing.

Just as we do not leave it up to only the private for-profit health providers to care for our citizens, and private schools to educate them, we should not take a laissez-faire approach in housing.

It would also give the State a means by which to directly tackle one of the biggest issues facing the construction sector; that of labour force supply, recruitment, and retention through quality employment.

Under our proposal, a state construction company would operate alongside existing market delivery of housing, playing a significant role in the delivery of affordable and social housing. The state construction company would:

For the last decade-and-a-half, there has been a notable difficulty in attracting new workers to the construction sector at the rate required. A state construction company, offering decent apprenticeships with improved rates of pay, quality permanent employment, and good benefits would play a key role in building up the skills required to tackle Ireland’s housing emergency.

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directly employ all the necessary construction skills, including engineers, surveyors, block layers, scaffolders, carpenters, plumbers, electricians, fitters, and construction project managers;

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provide quality permanent employment and apprenticeships, to help attract a sufficient number of workers to the sector;

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create four regional modular home factories, which would between them produce up to 2,000 homes per year and allow Ireland to begin harnessing the potential efficiencies of MMC; and

The state construction company would set up four regional modular home factories which between them would produce up to 2,000 homes per year, mainly for local authorities.

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work with local authorities to deliver a significant increase in the number of new homes being delivered to meet our housing targets.

It is important to note that private developers and private builders will still have a role in housing delivery.

However, it is clear that the total reliance on private providers has failed to deliver affordable housing on the scale needed, and so a massive shift is needed.

This would develop the public capacity to construct homes and key infrastructure. We also know there is much to be done on tackling derelict buildings and the retrofitting of existing homes now and into the future.

Our state construction company would also invest in modern methods of construction (MMC) to ensure the State has a regular supply of high-quality factory-built homes. In our most recent alternative budget, the Social Democrats ringfenced €120 million for investment in modular home factories to unlock the potential of this technology.

MMC is a manufacturing approach where much of the construction of buildings is transferred from building site to factory floor. MMC provide opportunities to increase productivity and efficiency in the construction sector; which in turn can accelerate the provision of housing.

The production and output of the state construction company will be in addition to that from the private sector, as the Social Democrats believe that housing is a fundamental need and so – just as in other areas of fundamental importance like health and education – the State must be at the heart of delivering a basic level of provision.

The potential for a state construction company to ensure everyone has a decent affordable home is huge. We should take this historic step to guarantee that young people have a future in this country.

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Housing Ireland magazine

Simon Week 2026:

From commitment to action

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In June 2021, Ireland signed the Lisbon Declaration, joining other EU member states in a shared commitment to work towards ending homelessness by 2030. At the time, 5,847 adults, 932 families, and 2,167 children were living in emergency accommodation in Ireland. Five years on, instead of moving closer to that ambition, we have moved further away from it, writes Ber Grogan, Executive Director, Simon Communities of Ireland.

The latest figures show that there are over 17,000 adults and children living in emergency accommodation across Ireland. These are not just statistics. They are people whose lives are being defined by uncertainty, trauma, and the absence of something every person deserves: a safe and secure home.

Ireland is one of the wealthiest countries in Europe. We have the resources, the land, the expertise, and the empty properties needed to change this trajectory. Yet homelessness continues to deepen and become more

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entrenched. Simon Week takes place from 21 to 27 September 2026 and provides an opportunity to move the conversation from commitments to delivery.

The theme of Simon Week is the largely ignored cohort of people experiencing homelessness alone. We are calling for one big push to end single adult homelessness by 2030, focusing on what works, what needs to be done, and how we can work together to make this happen. Almost two-thirds of all adults are facing homelessness alone and we want to fix it. We will not end homelessness if we continue to exclude the

largest cohort of people experiencing homelessness from delivery action plans and priority resourcing.

There has been significant work done around the wording of an EU Council recommendation and Ireland is well-placed to adopt the recommendation during our Presidency. The recommendation has the potential to become a turning point in European housing and homelessness policy. But only if countries, including Ireland, treat it not as another aspirational document, but as a framework for urgent delivery.

At the heart of Simon Week will be our national conference on the 24 September 2026 in Dublin, which will place Ireland’s homelessness crisis within a wider European context while also focusing on practical solutions. The conference programme reflects both the scale of the challenge and the opportunities available if political leadership aligns with evidence-based policy.

European Commissioner Michael McGrath will provide a video address, alongside contributions from Minister for Housing James Browne TD, FEANTSA Deputy Director Ruth Owen, and Finnish housing expert Hanna Kettunen, who will share lessons from Finland’s internationally recognised success in reducing homelessness.

Finland’s experience is important because it proves homelessness is not inevitable. Through sustained investment in housing delivery, Housing First approaches, prevention, and cross-government coordination, Finland has shown what can happen when homelessness is treated as a policy choice rather than a social inevitability.

In Ireland, we know many of the solutions already.

What houses people is political courage.

It is ambitious public housing delivery. It is ensuring empty properties are brought back into use. It is investing in Housing First and prevention services. It is recognising housing as infrastructure every bit as essential as roads, schools, or hospitals.

There is still time to honour the commitment made in Lisbon in 2021.

But if we are serious about ending homelessness by 2030, then the coming years must look very different from the last five.

We cannot normalise record homelessness figures. We cannot become desensitised to thousands of children growing up without a home.

And we cannot continue accepting a situation where some people are locked out of housing in one of the richest countries in the world.

Simon Week 2026 is ultimately about hope, but hope grounded in action, evidence, and accountability.

The solutions exist. The question now is whether we have the collective will to deliver them at the scale this crisis demands.

For further information on Simon Week 2026:

W: www.simon.ie/simonweek

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Simon Communities of Ireland has consistently highlighted the urgent need for increased social and affordable housing delivery, stronger prevention measures, better tenant protections, and more effective use of vacant properties. Our publications, including Working to End Homelessness by 2030 and our regular Locked Out of the Market reports, continue to demonstrate the growing barriers facing people trying to access secure housing.

Housing Ireland magazine

Throughout the week, the Simon Communities across the country will bring together policymakers, housing experts, frontline workers, academics, communities and people with lived experience to examine what is needed to genuinely end homelessness in Ireland. Too often, people with lived experience are spoken about rather than listened to. Yet our experience across the Simon Communities shows that the people closest to the issue frequently have the clearest understanding of what needs to change.

These experiences remind us that homelessness is not confined to one demographic. It affects children trying to do homework in hotel rooms, workers commuting long distances from emergency accommodation, older people facing retirement into homelessness, and individuals with complex health needs trapped in cycles of housing instability.

Our research on older adult homelessness highlighted a deeply worrying trend: increasing numbers of older people are entering homelessness later in life due to rising rents, inadequate pension incomes, bereavement, ill health, and insecure tenancies.

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Conference 2027

Date for your diary!

March 2027 Croke Park, Dublin

Digital

Events

Publications

eolas Magazine is organising its eleventh annual Housing Ireland Conference, which will examine the key challenges facing Ireland’s housing policymakers and senior practitioners across the sector. The conference will take place in March 2027 in Croke Park, Dublin.

Sponsorship and exhibition opportunities There are a number of opportunities for interested organisations to become involved with this conference as sponsors or exhibitors. This is an excellent way for organisations to raise their profile with a key audience of senior decision-makers from across the housing sector in Ireland. For further information on how your organisation can benefit, contact Lynda Millar on 01 661 3755 or email lynda.millar@eolasmagazine.ie

Register online!

Online www.housingireland.ie

By telephone 01 661 3755

By email registration@eolasmagazine.ie

AHBRA and local authorities: Understanding our respective roles necessary, and exercising the regulatory powers provided under the Act.

Housing Ireland magazine

Our regulatory approach is evidencebased and proportionate. We seek to identify risks early, engage with AHBs to support compliance and, where necessary, use our statutory powers to address serious or persistent issues.

Our objective is to promote continuous improvement and confidence in a well governed and resilient AHB sector.

Since becoming fully operational, AHBRA has completed regulatory assessments covering over 80 per cent of AHB homes, publishing the outcomes to promote transparency, recognise good practice, and identify areas for improvement.

Although AHBRA and local authorities have distinct statutory responsibilities, AHBRA’s regulatory decisions and published assessment outcomes can have implications for both AHBs and local authorities. We are conscious of this and recognise the importance of engaging openly, explaining our role, and building constructive relationships across the housing sector.

Approved housing bodies (AHBs) have become an increasingly important part of Ireland’s housing system, providing almost 77,000 homes and playing a central role in delivering social and affordable housing, writes Fergal O’Leary, CEO, Approved Housing Bodies Regulatory Authority (AHBRA).

The Approved Housing Bodies Regulatory Authority (AHBRA) was established under the Housing (Regulation of Approved Housing Bodies) Act 2019 to develop and oversee that framework. While AHBRA is now an established part of Ireland’s housing landscape, many people across the wider public sector, including those working in local authorities, may be less familiar with our role and how it

complements the work of other organisations.

AHBRA’s role is to regulate AHBs and ensure compliance with the Act. This includes maintaining the Register of Approved Housing Bodies, monitoring compliance with the Standards for Approved Housing Bodies, carrying out regulatory assessments, considering notifiable events and concerns, conducting investigations where

As the regulatory framework continues to mature, AHBRA is committed to engaging openly and transparently in the exercise of our statutory functions.

We look forward to working with colleagues across the sector to strengthen understanding of AHBRA’s role and support a well-governed, resilient AHB sector.

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As the sector has expanded in scale, complexity, and significance, so too has the need for a regulatory framework that promotes good governance, financial resilience, effective tenancy management, and public confidence.

More specifically, where AHBRA is considering the cancellation of an AHB’s registration, a local authority may be invited to provide information relevant to that process. Local authorities can also remind AHBs of their obligation to notify AHBRA where a relevant notifiable event arises. Where concerns arise about the governance or operation of an AHB, these may be raised through AHBRA’s concerns process.

To learn more about AHBRA or discuss our role, contact us: E: info@ahbra.ie

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The Government is proposing a new national framework for the design and planning of apartments, aimed at increasing the viability and delivery of apartment schemes while maintaining core standards for quality, accessibility, and safety.

The draft Planning Design Standards for Apartments National Planning Statement, for which the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage closed consultation submissions in July 2026, is intended to provide a more consistent approach across planning authorities and reflects the Government’s wider objective of increasing housing supply in urban areas.

The proposal would similarly standardise several other design parameters nationally. These include a 25 per cent dual-aspect requirement, a 2.7 metre minimum floor-to-ceiling height for ground-floor apartments, and greater flexibility over the configuration of lift and stair cores. Local authorities would have less scope to introduce requirements above these national standards.

A central feature of the proposal is greater flexibility for developers over the composition and design of apartment schemes.

The draft also seeks to reduce additional costs associated with apartment development. Community, cultural, and childcare facilities would not be required automatically once a development reaches a particular size.

Instead, requirements would be based on local need and identified through the planning system. Car parking would also be minimised, substantially reduced, or eliminated in locations with good access to services and public transport.

Statutory plans would no longer be permitted to impose minimum or maximum requirements for particular apartment types, such as the number of one-, two- or three-bedroom units, except in specified circumstances including social and affordable housing and housing for older people.

The draft also removes restrictions on smaller two-bedroom, three-person apartments and introduces a new threebedroom, four-person unit category.

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At the same time, the proposal takes a restrictive approach to co-living, establishing a presumption against new developments unless a specific local need is identified.

On housing supply and availability, the Government says rising construction costs have created a significant gap between the cost of delivering apartments and their achievable market value. The NPS is therefore intended to remove unnecessary planning costs and constraints, allowing more apartments to be delivered, particularly in urban locations and areas well served by public transport, while retaining essential standards.

Launching the consultation, Minister of State for Local Government and Planning John Cummins TD said: “These revised planning design standards will assist in addressing viability constraints within the construction sector and promote the increased delivery of apartments, while safeguarding standards, to address the growing need to supply a greater range of housing typologies to meet the needs of our population.”

At the time of writing, the Department is considering the consultation submissions.

Credit: Fasih Chandio

Housing Ireland magazine

A new approach to apartment design standards

Latent defects: What should an AHB do when problems emerge?

Katelin Toomey

Ruth O’Connor

Latent defects are faults in design, workmanship, or materials that become apparent only after a development has been completed and occupied. For an approved housing body (AHB), a defect raises immediate concerns around tenant safety, disruption, and remedial costs. Early, organised action is critical to preserving recovery options, write Ruth O’Connor and Katelin Toomey, O’Connor LLP. Safety comes first. The AHB should consider whether temporary works, restricted access, or alternative accommodation are required and notify its property insurers where appropriate.

Any emergency measures should be recorded carefully and, in so far as possible, carried out without destroying evidence of the cause of the defect.

Other protections may include performance bonds, collateral warranties, professional indemnity insurance and express defects obligations. The requirements and deadlines for invoking each protection should be checked carefully.

Finally, notices should be served promptly on responsible parties and insurers in the manner required by the contract or policy. Limitation periods must be assessed immediately: investigations, negotiations, and repair programmes do not necessarily stop time running.

For construction contracts entered into on or after 25 July 2016, the Act should be considered where defects affect valuation, deductions, set-off, retention, or another sum claimed as due. AHBs that act quickly, preserve evidence, and take coordinated legal and technical advice will be best placed to protect tenants and recover losses.

Please note that this does not constitute legal advice and AHBs should always seek advice from their legal advisers in relation to defects/ retention.

T: 016764488 E: mail@oclegal.ie W: www.oclegal.ie

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The AHB should assemble a clear record of the defect: photographs, videos, tenant complaints, inspection reports, maintenance records, and correspondence. Unless urgent action is required, potentially responsible parties should be allowed to inspect before remedial works begin. A suitably qualified expert may be needed to determine cause, extent, and repair cost.

parties, notice requirements, liability caps, exclusions, and time limits. If the arrangement involves construction operations, the AHB should consider whether the Construction Contracts Act 2013 (the Act) applies. A contract for the sale of completed property and standard collateral warranties will not generally constitute construction contracts under the Act, but development or forwardpurchase agreements or collateral warranties with substantive construction obligations should be reviewed on their terms.

Housing Ireland magazine

provision. This requires an agreed percentage of the purchase price to be withheld for a defects period and released in stages once the defects period has expired and notified defects are remedied. Where retention is held under a construction contract governed by the Act, its withholding and release should be administered in accordance with the contractual and statutory payment regime.

Contractual protections should not be overlooked. Many AHBs now require a retention as a standard contractual

Key documents should be reviewed promptly, including any development agreement or building contract, contract for sale, professional appointments, collateral warranties, and insurance. The review should identify responsible

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Housing Ireland magazine

Digitalising housing services Mihai Bilauca, Chief Information Officer in the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, highlights the work the Department is doing to “unlock digital transformation across housing and local government”.

Mihai Bilauca says that it is evident within his department that “in Ireland, housing is a national priority”.

He says this is why, in November 2025, the Government published Delivering Homes, Building Communities 2025-30, which commits to the construction of 300,000 homes, including 72,000 social homes and 90,000 affordable supports.

According to Bilauca: “Digital technologies, digital transformation, and data can help us accelerate our journey towards that destination and goal.”

Digital transformation Bilauca explains that “only a very small percentage (3 per cent) of our services are facing the customer directly”, while

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41 per cent are in collaboration with local authorities and agencies.

This, Bilauca says, means that the Department “needs to embrace a different type of digital transformation, a digital transformation that is carried out in partnership and in tandem with local authorities and the agencies of the department”.

The work on this digital transformation began five years ago, and DHLGH took a “dual approach” to this project.

Bilauca explains that this involved both a “top-down strategic programme of work that has seen a set a coordinated strategies being developed”, as well as a “bottom-up, agile acceleration programme that has focused us on the exact project initiatives that had to be undertaken as a matter of urgency”.

Bilauca adds that “the first thing we did was we defined a longer strategic journey, for a period of 10 years, and that journey has been split into three particular sprints; the initial ‘foundation’ sprint, a second ‘emerge’ sprint for another three years, and finally the ‘evolve’ sprint”.

This was done to allow for a “a longerterm type of a strategic approach” which would ensure that the transformation was as effective as possible and not focused solely on quick wins.

In 2021, the DHLGH published its first data strategy, detailing the goals and actions they will take to achieve their digital transformation, and in 2025 published a revised roadmap with updated actions for the emerge sprint, as they progress towards its targets.

Bilauca outlines the core tenets of the Department’s work in this area: “The main goal in our digital strategy is to reimagine our services and operations but in tandem with local government, in tandem with our agencies. And central to all our strategies is a key point: sustainable communities and the delivery of homes.”

Department initiatives Bilauca highlights some of the projects the Department has been working on to improve its services, including the Insights Service which brings in a cross-government collaboration with “all housing-related data together in one place” and includes information relating to over 140 clearly defined metrics.

Bilauca says that “paramount to the service was establishing good data governance, making sure that we understand what metrics we are using, because very often we hear people arguing about housing data, and yet everybody has a different set of definitions to work with”.

The Department is also exploring how it can use this data to improve and accelerate the delivery of homes.

Bilauca explains that “in recent months, we have started looking at using AI to query such data in using natural language”. This would involve asking the data repository questions that have not been previously explored because of technological limitations.

data governance is absolutely paramount to unlocking digital transformation especially in the age of AI. “No matter what systems we put in place, if we just move the data from older systems into newer systems without having appropriate governance and ownership, we are just moving and dusting things under the carpet.”

Vacant homes An area of particular importance to the Department, is addressing the number of vacant homes and Bilauca says there are two main challenges to achieving this.

Firstly, Bilauca says “we have three different sources in Ireland around what vacant homes are, and those numbers never match” and this problem is compounded by the definition of vacant varying from source to source.

Bilauca says the second issue “is that not all vacant homes can be brought back into reuse”.

To address this issue, the Department “shared a geographical information system (GIS) solution with our colleagues in local authorities, and we started collecting from the ground up information around properties that can realistically be brought back into use”.

A GIS refers to software that captures, manages, analyses, and visualises geographic data.

Another project that has been undertaken in the last year relates to the collection of data relating to modern methods of construction.

Another housing-related initiative that the Department is currently developing is Project Díon, which Bilauca describes as “transformative”.

Bilauca says that this project was about “engagement with the various stakeholders that had a say or had an interest in this information, to agree on metadata; that is what every term means, because it is fundamental that we have a common language”.

He explains that the project plans to “bring together 33 housing delivery programmes from multiple spreadsheets, systems, and data sources into a single platform”.

Bilauca underlines the importance of having the correct processes around the usage and collection of data: “I look forward to the new national data strategy, because

Housing Ireland magazine

“Transformation is enabled by strong data governance, strong data management practices, and strong programme and project management.”

This, Bilauca, says will allow for “a common way of working that is understood not just in the Department, but also with local authorities” and help address “the data fragmentation issues we have had over the years”. 4 75

Housing Ireland magazine

At the end of 2025, the Department also started working with the County and City Management Association and the Local Government Management Agency “to support local authorities to implement the building information modelling (BIM) mandate for the Capital Works Management Framework”.

BIM supports the “digital twins” concept which refers to the generation of digital representations of the physical and functional characteristics of buildings and physical assets, which can be used to make planning more efficient.

National digital solutions The Department are also currently developing two major national initiatives with local government, the first of which is the National Digital Housing Solution.

Bilauca explains that this aims to “bring together, from the systems of 31 local authorities into a national platform, particular modules that are relevant to social and affordable housing”.

This will include the data and services relating to social housing applications, the allocation of houses, tenancy management, as well as the management of the housing stock.

This platform will be linked with Project Díon, which tracks the delivery of housing, allowing for “a constant 76

tracking of properties from one end to another”.

Similarly, the National Digital Planning Solution will bring the data and systems from each of the 31 local authorities into one singular platform.

Bilauca says this will “not only provide a better and consistent online service to all citizens of Ireland, no matter what county they are in, but it will also establish a common way of dealing with planning applications, regardless of what county council you are dealing with”.

Concluding, Bilauca highlights the enormous potential that digital transformation can have on local government, saying: “There are over 1,100 services that the local government sector provides on behalf of many of the Government departments at local level. We know that working in partnership, we have the opportunity to bring online over 250 services up to 2030.”

To achieve these goals, however Bilauca says the correct processes must be in place: “Governance structures and data governance is paramount, and transformation is enabled by strong data governance, strong data management practices, and strong programme and project management.”

How independent development advisory helps Ireland build faster and better Housing Ireland magazine

stakeholder engagement de-risk delivery long before a shovel goes in the ground.

On complex mixed tenure and cost rental schemes, that critical early discipline is often what turns a good plan into a successful project.

About KSNPM and Fexco

Independent development advisory gives government and delivery partners the control, coordination and certainty to turn record investment into new homes delivery at scale and at pace, writes Daniel Eagling, Project Director, KSNPM part of the Fexco Group.

Ireland is in a stronger position on housing than it has been in a decade or more. The Government has set a clear national target of 300,000 new homes by 2030, including 72,000 social homes and 90,000 affordable housing supports, backed by record investment across housing and enabling infrastructure. The ambition is set, the funding is committed, and the public and private sector is mobilising at scale to deliver.

Execution is the multiplier With funding secured, the greatest gains now come from execution. Housing and

This is where KSN Project Management’s independent development advisory service adds real value. Bringing rigour early, before commitments are locked in, changes outcomes. Realistic programme planning, clear governance, proactive risk management and a considered procurement strategy give a scheme the control it needs to hold budget, protect quality and meet its timeline.

A trusted partner to both the public and private sectors, KSNPM supports government departments and State bodies on strategic projects central to the National Development Plan, including more than 12 major infrastructure projects. The firm has also delivered dozens of large-scale residential, commercial and mixed-use schemes for leading private developers and investors.

In 2026, KSNPM became part of the Fexco Group, one of Ireland’s most respected financial and business services groups. The partnership pairs KSNPM’s specialist project management, development management and real estate sustainability capabilities with Fexco’s property, managed and advisory platforms, offering clients independent, multi-disciplinary advisory backed by the scale, stability and innovation of a major Irish group, across the full property and infrastructure lifecycle.

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The opportunity now is to convert that momentum into delivery at pace. In 2025 the State completed over 36,000 homes, real progress, and a foundation to build on. Reaching the plan’s full potential means almost doubling annual output while coordinating planning, infrastructure, procurement, inflation and construction capacity at the same time.

That is a genuinely complex undertaking for any country, and it is exactly the kind of challenge that the right delivery support can unlock.

infrastructure programmes succeed when every scheme starts with clear definition, realistic programmes, robust cost models, joined-up decision-making and early visibility of risk. When those foundations are in place, projects move faster, budgets hold, and confidence compounds; each scheme delivered on time builds the certainty that accelerates the next.

KSNPM is a multi-disciplinary construction consultancy established in 1998, operating across Ireland and the UK. The firm provides project management, development management, and cost and advisory services across the residential, education, commercial and infrastructure sectors, combining technical expertise with an execution-focused approach and long-standing client relationships.

Front-load the value The value of advisory support is greatest at the front end of a project, where good decisions cost little and deliver most.

Strong early definition, credible cost and risk assessment, and coordinated

W: www.ksnpm.com

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Housing Ireland magazine

Revitalising Scottish social housing Stephanie Elliot, head of operations for smart housing at the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations (SFHA) outlines how the organisation’s financial inclusion pilot is improving tenant outcomes, reducing staff burden, and supporting financial digital inclusion goals.

Stephanie Elliot explains that the main responsibility for the technology-enabled care programme aims to “upscale housing’s contributions to digital health and care strategies in Scotland”. This is done in partnership with Link Housing, which provides affordable housing, property management, advice, financial inclusion, and employability services, and Lightning Reach, which connects people to multiple forms of benefits, grants, and other supports. SFHA aimed to test if a digital first option would improve access to funds and grants, whilst also freeing up frontline staff’s time to ensure better quality care.

Elliot says Lightning Reach provided a digital platform, “designed to streamline access to financial support”, by connecting individuals with grants, benefits, and other assistance through a single online platform, which any of the users could access.

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Link Housing tenants would complete a “short application”, which would match them with relevant schemes based on their self-reported circumstances. Elliot explains that “the platform is built to support both self-service and assisted journeys”, making it particularly valuable to both tenants that face financial vulnerability and staff who are stretched beyond capacity.

The partners would then analyse the tenant profile engagement by tracking tenants’ applications and the services they were applying to. They would then check to see what schemes they had matched and engaged with. Application journeys were monitored including the time taken to create a profile and get online.

Results Over the 12-month pilot period, 1,100 tenants engaged with communications sent out by the partners, through SMS, email, or social media, and went to the platform, with 1,028 of them completing profiles. Nearly 700 tenants engaged with support such as performing a benefit check or accessing applications for funds and grants.

Elliot says 457 users clicked on ‘external matches’, which helps users identify grants or funding from the platform; however, she explains that “there is no data or a completed user journey for anyone who went out with the platform”. A total of 227 individuals submitted direct applications via the portal, with 98 users completing a benefits check. Within those checks, Elliot reveals that they unearthed £50,700 in potential monthly entitlements for those tenants, with a further 19 tenants receiving direct awards totalling just over £14,000 with an average of £785.

The categories in which people required the most support was energy and utilities, furniture and appliances, food and essentials, advice services, and holidays and activity costs which also includes respite support for individuals who have caring responsibilities.

“We did note that external schemes saw higher engagement and potential financial impact, but there was a limited number of direct awards which suggests procedural barriers which we have taken up with the provider. The patterns underscore the need for housing providers to offer targeted follow-ups and digital support,” Elliot explains.

Elliot asserts that the housing sector can turn digital access into meaningful impact for tenants, with 98 per cent of the 1,100 tenants having self-accessed.

Tenants were not identified as almost all of the data set was anonymised.

Housing Ireland magazine

“No organisation I have worked with could confidently say that digital could or would replace their in-person services.”

However, SFHA and its partners used key demographic trends to construct the make-up of potential tenants to demonstrate the effectiveness of the pilot.

Streamlining Elliot states that the partners wanted to streamline the benefits checking process to provide more targeted debt advice, offer reminders and alerts for benefit changes or deadlines, and to connect users to additional services such as mental health support and food banks.

Elliot says Lightning Reach was available to tenants daily. Communications were staggered and multichannel including SMS, emails, newsletters, postcards, social media, and in person community events to maximise reach and limit digital exclusion.

“Because of the data from the platform, we were able to see that it took around 14 minutes to create that profile. We also had an experienced member of the housing team mirror this in real life, and they also took stock of the time it took them. It would have taken the best part of six months for Links Advice Service to deal with all 1,100, if they all required support.”

Elliot states that technology partners need to “champion a co-designing structure with tenants and staff to ensure useability and cultural fit”. She continues by saying that she understands the “level of scepticism” surrounding a digital-first design but adds that “no organisation I have worked with could confidently say that digital could or would replace their in-person services”.

Concluding, Elliot calls for financial inclusion to be seen as a “core component” of tenancy sustainment and housing policy “essential for reducing arrears, sustaining tenancies, and achieving national antipoverty goals”.

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Housing Ireland magazine

A retrofit one stop shop for approved housing bodies and local authorities Electric Ireland Superhomes is a joint venture between Tipperary Energy Agency and ESB (Electric Ireland) established in 2021.

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We are an SEAI registered One Stop Shop looking after all the key stages of a home energy retrofit, from design, contractor selection, project completion, and management of SEAI grant funding to bring houses and apartments to a minimum of a B BER standard. We support larger-scale retrofit projects for local authorities, approved housing bodies, and noncorporate landlords under relevant SEAI funding programmes, including the Better Energy Communities Scheme. Electric Ireland Superhomes’ vision is to empower our customers to achieve warmer, healthier, low-carbon homes with a renewable energy focused approach.

Electric Ireland Superhomes delivers retrofit solutions with the support of a multi-disciplined staff of over 50 people comprising of retrofit advisors, energy engineers, surveyors and BER assessors. We have a dedicated team that specifically focuses on larger projects with special focus on housing owned, and managed by local 80

authorities, approved housing bodies, and non-corporate landlords.

The dedicated large projects team bring a wealth of expertise in planning, execution, and oversight, ensuring that projects are delivered on time and within budget. With a keen understanding of the intricacies of project management, they can effectively navigate potential challenges, mitigate risks, and optimise available resources. Their ability to anticipate potential roadblocks and implement strategic solutions contributes to the overall success of the project. Ultimately, by entrusting Electric Ireland Superhomes with the oversight of their Energy Retrofit programme, a local authority, or approved housing body stands to benefit from enhanced efficiency, costeffectiveness, and successful project outcomes.

For local authorities, Electric Ireland Superhomes can provide a range of services to meet their needs from a full energy retrofit consultancy service to

Housing Ireland magazine

Paddy Spollen, Housing Department, Roscommon County Council

From 2022 to date, our large project team has been engaged by several Local Authorities for the delivery of energy retrofit works of over 1,000 units.

In line with programme rules, our objective is to deliver a minimum B post BER rating on all homes. Since 2024, 80 per cent of all our local authority houses achieved an ‘A’ post works BER rating.

This year we have been contracted by additional local authorities for their Energy Efficiency Retrofit Program and are forecasting significant growth in this sector.

For approved housing bodies and Noncorporate Landlords, Electric Ireland Superhomes can provide a full one stop shop service that can avail of the SEAI grants for houses that were built and occupied before 2011. SEAI grant supported retrofit measures include insulation upgrades (including roofs, walls, and floors), replacement doors and windows, mechanical ventilation, airtightness, solar PV, and heat pumps.

with the recommendations in the report, we can finalise the design of the works, prepare documents for tender or pricing, and manage the grant process. We carry out interim checks on the retrofit works in progress and a detailed final inspection once the project is completed. A health and safety file and post works BER Certificate are provided on completion of the project.

Grants offered are provided by the Government of Ireland through the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI).

For more information contact: E: multiples@electricirelandsuperhomes.ie Joanne Quaid, Head of Large Projects T:+353 86 0659169 E: joanne.quaid@electricirelandsuperhomes.ie David Ahearne, Corporate Account Manager

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“Electric Ireland Superhomes acted as a true extension of our internal resources and were always on hand to provide support and technical expertise where needed. Through our collaboration, the majority of homes upgraded achieved an Arated Building Energy Rating (BER).”

the provision of services expected under the Energy Efficiency Obligation Scheme.

T: +353 87 489 6572 E: david.ahearne@electricirelandsuperhomes.ie

The process for an energy retrofit starts with an initial consultation to establish your requirements followed by a detailed house survey that includes the building fabric and heating systems. An energy report is then prepared that recommends a package of measures. Once satisfied 81

Housing Ireland magazine

Misinterpreting rental inflation The current method for calculating rental inflation can “overstate the inflation experienced by households in the sector and lead to misinterpretation of the effectiveness of rent regulation in limiting rent increases” and can be improved, a new report from the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) finds.

Measuring rental inflation: Evidence from Ireland, published in May 2026, analyses rental inflation over the period Q2 2022 to Q1 2025 using two different methodologies.

The first of these, being used for the first time in Ireland, is a Repeat Rent Index (RRI), which tracks the rental prices of the same properties over a period, capturing changes within individual properties.

This makes it particularly suited to measuring affordability trends for properties in the sector and assessing the effectiveness of rent caps in limiting within-property rent rises.

A hedonic index, which is the method currently used by the Residential Tenancies Board to calculate rental inflation, is used alongside the RRI. This measures all rents in a period and adjusts for differences in property characteristics, capturing changes in the average rent paid and the composition of the rental market through the entry and exit of properties.

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The hedonic index is crucial for understanding broader market pressures, driven by factors such as population growth, supply constraints, and increasing construction costs, all of which influence the mix of properties and overall rent levels.

However, hedonic indexes can exaggerate the real inflation experienced and therefore struggle to accurately evaluate the ability of regulations to limit rental inflation.

Therefore, using both indices together provides a more comprehensive and timely understanding of developments in the rental market.

Results The report finds that annual rental inflation, measured by the RRI, was consistently between 2.1 and 2.8 per cent lower than the hedonic estimates across the country with the total RRI found to be 2.48 per cent compared to the hedonic estimate of 4.68 per cent.

The significant difference in the inflation measured by the RRI and the hedonic index highlights the danger of using only one of these approaches.

Using both methodologies also allows for the underlying factors driving inflation to be calculated in specific areas, such as market churn or within-property rent increases.

The analysis of rental markets in local authorities (LA) reinforces the findings of significant differences between the two methodologies.

South Dublin County Council and Tipperary County Council both have very similar hedonic estimates of rent inflation, 5.94 per cent in South Dublin and 5.83 per cent in Tipperary.

However, each LAs’ RRI-calculated inflation is significantly different, as South Dublin’s is 1.8 per cent, while in Tipperary it is 4.7 per cent.

The use of the RRI allows for a better understanding of the underlying factors behind the inflation.

For example, the lower RRI inflation in South Dublin means its rental increases were primarily driven by market churn, whereas in Tipperary, inflation was heavily driven by within-property rental growth.

While the report does not make any policy prescriptions, it provides the most detailed analysis ever of rental inflation in Ireland by using two complementary methodologies to produce a more

This can facilitate more effective and targeted interventions to address inflation in rents across the State.

The report indicates future analysis of Ireland’s rental inflation must include a RRI in addition to the hedonic index to ensure that the calculations are as accurate as possible.

Housing Ireland magazine

The report states that an RRI provides a timely and clearer picture of affordability developments for households but does not capture the impact of market churn, the entry and exit of properties with different rent levels.

comprehensive and timelier understanding of rental market developments.

New rental rules While incredibly accurate, the timing of this analysis means that it was unable to capture the effects of the new rental rules.

From 1 March 2026, under the Residential Tenancies Bill, rent increases for new and existing tenancies are capped in line with the rate of general inflation or 2 per cent a year, whichever is lower.

However, for private tenancies created from this date, the bill allows landlords to reset the rent at market rate if the last tenancy ended because the tenant left by choice, breached their obligations, or if the property no longer suits their needs.

This part of the bill was controversial and received significant criticism from opposition parties, who warned it would cause rent increases, which contributed to the bill only narrowly passing in the Dáil by 79 to 70 votes.

The new legislation may have already contributed to the significant increases in rents across the country in the first quarter of 2026.

A report from Daft.ie found that rents rose by as much between December 2025 and March 2026, 4.4 per cent, as they did over the whole of 2025, which is the largest quarterly gain on record back to 2002.

Due to its effectiveness at measuring the effect of rent caps on rental inflation, an RRI must be used in future analysis of the Irish rental market to understand the consequences of these new rules.

Sinn Féin housing spokesperson Eoin Ó Broin TD says: “This dramatic surge in market rents is a direct consequence of the Government’s decision to allow landlords to reset rents between tenancies.

“We urged the Government not to do this. Not only did they refuse to listen, they knowingly and willingly pushed rental inflation to its highest level in a quarter of a century. And they did this on the entirely false premise that it would increase supply and over time bring rents down. It will do neither of these things.”

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Housing Ireland magazine

Investing in people, homes, and communities

John Binnie, Head of Asset Management and Property Services at Oaklee.

Emma McCormick, Head of Housing and Customer Services at Oaklee.

Housing is about much more than bricks and mortar.

While the delivery of new homes remains critical, longterm success depends on the quality of the services, systems, and people that support residents throughout their tenancy.

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At Oaklee, that philosophy is shaping the organisation’s next phase of growth. As Oaklee grows, so too does the organisation’s investment in the guardrails, governance, compliance, robust data, and clear accountability that ensures growth never comes at the expense of quality.

As one of Ireland’s largest approved housing bodies, Oaklee continues to deliver social and affordable homes while building the structures needed to grow responsibly. In recent years, it has invested in specialist expertise, stronger governance, and systems to support a growing number of homes safely. The principle is simple: growth must be matched by controls that protect residents and safeguard the long-term quality of homes.

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Investing in leadership Two recent appointments reflect this commitment. Emma McCormick was appointed Head of Housing and Customer Services, while John Binnie became Head of Asset Management and Property Services. Together, they lead two functions at the heart of Oaklee’s mission, supporting residents and ensuring homes remain safe, compliant, and sustainable for years to come.

Supporting residents and sustaining communities For McCormick, the journey mirrors Oaklee’s own. Having worked in Housing Services through the organisation’s most significant periods of change, she has seen it evolve from a smaller provider into

a growing, independent one with increasingly sophisticated services.

Oaklee’s purpose, providing social and affordable homes, remains unchanged, but the professionalism and capability behind that work have transformed as resident needs and responsibilities have grown.

Housing Services has adapted to a more complex environment. The challenges facing residents today often extend beyond housing to include tenancy sustainment, vulnerability, and financial pressure. In response, Oaklee has deliberately built specialist services, tenancy sustainment, resident engagement, and a structured service centre model, that allow it to manage risk properly and maintain consistency as the organisation grows. For McCormick, these controls are what protect service quality at scale.

Resident experience remains central.

McCormick emphasises Oaklee’s focus on fair, consistent, and compassionate services and wants residents to know the organisation takes seriously its responsibility not just to provide homes, but to build communities and sustain tenancies over the long term.

“Good asset management is about making the right decisions at the right time, so tenants can live in safe, warm, and wellmaintained homes, year after year.”

Housing Ireland magazine

John Binnie, Head of Asset Management and Property Services

Protecting homes While Housing Services focuses on people and communities, Asset Management and Property Services focuses on the homes themselves and the standards, systems, and investment needed to keep them safe, compliant, and well maintained.

John Binnie joined Oaklee with extensive sector experience and a clear ambition to build on the organisation’s existing strengths. His role focuses on developing a modern, streamlined asset management function, supported by strong technical expertise, reliable property data, clear governance, and effective long-term planning.

For Binnie, good asset management is ultimately about people. Safe, warm, and well-maintained homes have a direct impact on tenant satisfaction, confidence, and quality of life. The function therefore brings together day-to-day property services, compliance, planned investment, sustainability, and longerterm asset planning around a shared focus on tenants and their homes.

As Oaklee continues to grow, this approach will support consistent

standards across its homes and help the organisation make well-informed investment decisions. Sustainable growth depends on balancing current service delivery with future needs, using good data, technical knowledge, and clear priorities to guide decisions.

Data, governance, and organisational maturity Across Oaklee, data and governance are central to managing risk. Housing Services and Asset Management both recognise that good decisions depend on accurate information, reliable processes, and evidence-based assumptions. Better data strengthens oversight, supports compliance, and deepens understanding of resident needs, helping Oaklee move from reacting to problems towards anticipating and preventing them.

This focus on organisational maturity supports responsible growth. Through compliance assurance, tenancy sustainment, lifecycle planning, and investment forecasting, Oaklee is putting the right controls in place to keep growth sustainable and deliver positive outcomes for residents.

Looking ahead, both McCormick and Binnie see sustainable growth as the defining challenge. For McCormick, that means ensuring services, governance and staffing keep pace with delivery. For Binnie, it means building the technical foundations to scale without losing quality or control. Their perspectives reflect an organisation determined to get the fundamentals right.

Demand for housing across Ireland remains high, and approved housing bodies continue to play a vital role in delivering homes and supporting communities. Oaklee’s response is clear: keep delivering new homes while building and enforcing the guardrails needed to protect residents and homes for generations to come.

T: 086 839 2182 E: communications@oaklee.ie W: www.oaklee.ie LinkedIn: Oaklee Scan here to read John Binnie’s full interview.

Scan here to read Emma McCormick’s full interview.

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“We take our responsibility seriously to deliver homes, create communities, and sustain tenancies.”

The long term

Emma McCormick, Head of Housing and Customer Services 85

Housing Ireland magazine

Facilitating investment In a significant reform, the Government’s new housing strategy, Delivering Homes, Building Communities 2025-2030, is placing emphasis on the need to create “the conditions to enable inward investment to fund new housing developments”, placing more emphasis on the role of private capital to solve the State’s housing crisis.

The Government argues that private sector investment holds the key to addressing the housing supply gap in urban areas, with the construction of apartments planned to play a key role in ensuring that 300,000 new homes are delivered by 2030.

This emphasis reflects a broader shift in housing policy from a system primarily focused on regulation and public provision to one that actively seeks to shape market conditions in order to stimulate large-scale delivery.

Central to this approach is the Government’s conviction that, in current market conditions, many developments, particularly apartments, are not financially viable with high construction costs, expensive land, and uncertainty

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around returns having combined to play a role in supressing supply, even in areas where demand is strong.

Aiming to address this, the strategy outlines a series of interventions designed to improve viability and attract both domestic and international capital.

A key component is the State’s continued role as a direct investor.

Through mechanisms such as the National Development Plan, The Land Development Agency, and the Housing Finance Agency, the Government has committed substantial public funding aiming to de-risk development and provide a baseline level of activity. This is intended not only to deliver homes directly, but also to signal stability and confidence to private investors.

Private finance The new housing strategy is increasingly oriented towards “crowding in” private finance. This involves reducing barriers to entry, improving certainty, and ensuring that the regulatory environment supports development.

One of the most significant measures proposed is the adjustment of tax policy to improve returns on residential projects. The reduction of VAT on apartments, alongside targeted corporation tax incentives for cost rental housing, is intended to directly lower development costs and enhance profitability.

Facilitating investment: Key government targets

These measures represent a clear attempt to recalibrate the financial equation for developers, particularly in higher-density urban schemes where margins have been under sustained pressure.

Alongside fiscal changes, the Government is also proposing reforms to apartment design standards. While framed as a means of improving viability, this aspect of the policy is likely to prove contentious. The argument advanced is that existing standards have contributed to elevated construction costs and reduced feasibility, and that, by introducing more flexibility, there can be a greater volume of apartment construction.

Another central pillar of the strategy is the reform of the rental framework. The plan acknowledges that investor confidence has been undermined by regulatory uncertainty, particularly in relation to rent controls and tenant protections. In response, it proposes a revised system designed to provide greater predictability over returns, while maintaining a degree of protection for renters.

Access to finance is also identified as a key constraint, particularly for small and medium-sized builders. The strategy includes measures to expand lending capacity and improve access to equity, recognising that a more diverse development sector is necessary to increase output.

State-backed financing mechanisms are expected to play an important role in bridging funding gaps and supporting projects that might otherwise not proceed.

The Government has also committed to a review of construction costs, acknowledging that Ireland remains a high-cost environment for residential development. While the plan does not provide immediate solutions, it

Housing Ireland magazine

• Deliver 300,000 homes by 2030 • Mobilise €20 billion per year in development finance • Commit €9 billion public funding in 2026 via Exchequer, LDA, and HFA • Provide €20 billion total public investment in social and affordable housing • Inject €2.5 billion additional capital into the LDA • Reduce VAT on apartments to 9 per cent • Expand access to finance for SMEs and homebuilders • Increase delivery of cost rental housing through tax incentives • Remove planning, legal, and regulatory delays to unlock investment • Review and reduce construction costs to improve project viability

signals an intention to identify and address structural cost drivers over time.

The strategy also seeks to address nonfinancial barriers to delivery. Delays in the planning system, legal challenges, and regulatory complexity are all cited as factors that can undermine project viability.

Analysis Taken together, the measures on financing Delivering Homes, Building Communities 2025-2030 represent a comprehensive attempt to reposition the State’s housing system as an attractive destination for private capital.

The Government’s case is essentially that without a significant increase in private investment, the scale of housing delivery required will not be achieved. This marks a more fiscally conservative approach than Housing for All which is highly marketdependent.

The success of this strategy will depend on its ability to balance competing objectives and how to manage the economic climate of the State given ongoing global volatility which has resulted in a rise in inflation and potential energy supply challenges to come.

In a joint foreword, Taoiseach Micheál Martin TD and Tánaiste Simon Harris TD say: “We will enable the private sector to deliver homes at much greater scale by providing more zoned and serviced land for housing right across the country; reducing planning, legal, and regulatory delays and uncertainties; radically increasing investment in public infrastructure; and providing greater certainty to both tenants and investors.”

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Housing Ireland magazine

Delivering certainty through design and build Malahide Road apartments.

Ireland’s housing challenge requires delivery partners capable of taking projects from concept and planning through construction, completion, and occupation. Increasingly, success depends on integration, innovation, and the ability to deliver at scale while maintaining quality, sustainability, and customer focus.

As Ireland continues to address significant housing demand, the scale and complexity of modern residential developments require more than construction expertise alone.

Successful projects depend on early planning input, design coordination, programme certainty, modern methods of construction, and a clear understanding of future residents’ needs.

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GEM’s approach is built around a fully integrated design and build model that combines planning support, preconstruction services, design management, construction delivery, customer care, and residential sales within a single accountable structure.

By managing the entire development lifecycle, the company identifies opportunities earlier, reduces risk, improves efficiency, and provides greater certainty for clients, stakeholders, and homebuyers.

A key advantage of this model is early contractor involvement. By engaging during the planning and design stages, 88

construction expertise can influence buildability, procurement strategy, sequencing, and programme development long before work begins on site. This collaborative approach helps ensure projects are commercially viable, efficiently designed, and positioned for successful delivery.

The effectiveness of this approach can be seen across some of GEM’s largest and most complex developments.

At Churchfields, GEM delivered 517 residential units on a greenfield site between February 2024 and July 2026.

Delivering a project of this scale within a 29-month period required robust programme management, strong supply chain coordination, and the successful implementation of modern construction techniques.

The development demonstrates GEM’s ability to transform undeveloped land into a completed residential community while maintaining quality, certainty, and high standards of delivery.

The same capability is evident at the Malahide Road development, where GEM delivered 331 apartments within a 28-month construction programme.

High-density urban schemes require extensive coordination between design teams, structural systems, building services, compliance requirements, and finishing trades.

The successful delivery of this project highlights GEM’s ability to manage complex apartment developments while maintaining programme performance and quality throughout the construction process.

GEM’s expertise extends beyond traditional residential developments. At Parnell Street, Dublin, the company successfully delivered a 276-bed purpose-built student accommodation scheme on the site of the former St Peter’s Bakery under a design and build arrangement.

Delivered within a constrained citycentre environment, the project required careful planning, stakeholder

Housing Ireland magazine

Churchfields, May 2026.

coordination, and meticulous logistics management, demonstrating the company’s ability to deliver highdensity accommodation projects across multiple sectors.

At The Willows, Dunshaughlin, GEM is delivering one of Ireland’s most significant new residential communities.

When complete, the development will comprise approximately 1,045 homes, supported by parks, a crèche, retail facilities, medical services, and community sports amenities.

The project reflects the growing industry focus on creating sustainable, integrated communities and demonstrates the importance of longterm master planning and placemaking in delivering successful residential neighbourhoods.

Churchfields, The Willows, and Malahide Road have all been delivered, or are being delivered, under design and build arrangements, with GEM also acting as sales agent across these developments.

This provides continuity throughout the development process and gives the company direct insight into purchaser expectations and market requirements.

By connecting project delivery and sales, GEM ensures that design quality, construction quality, and customer experience remain aligned from project inception through to occupation.

Innovation also plays a critical role in GEM’s delivery strategy. Across

GEM’s integrated capability has also been recognised through its appointment as Clúid Housing’s construction partner under the Clúid Innovation Partnership. This long-term programme is focused on accelerating the delivery of high-quality housing through collaborative design and build arrangements, where lean construction principles, innovation, sustainability, and continuous improvement are central to successful outcomes.

The successful delivery of 517 homes at Churchfields, 331 apartments on the Malahide Road, 276 student accommodation beds on Parnell Street, and the ongoing development of the 1,045-home community at The Willows demonstrates GEM’s ability to consistently deliver large-scale projects across multiple sectors and under demanding conditions.

As the construction industry continues to evolve, clients are increasingly seeking partners capable of providing certainty right from the outset and throughout the development lifecycle.

For GEM, design and build is not simply a procurement route but an integrated delivery model that connects planning, design, construction, sales, and occupation into a single coordinated process.

The first scheme under the partnership comprises 144 apartments at Bannow Road, Cabra, which has recently commenced on site. A further 323-unit residential development at Sillogue, Ballymun, is expected to commence construction in the coming months.

Through this approach, GEM continues to demonstrate how early engagement, collaboration, innovation, and accountability can accelerate project delivery while maintaining the highest standards of quality and customer focus.

Each project presents unique challenges, whether related to planning, logistics, sustainability objectives, stakeholder engagement, or technical design requirements. GEM’s role is to bring together the expertise, resources, and delivery capability required to address these challenges while maintaining quality, value, and programme certainty.

The company’s objective remains clear: to deliver high-quality homes, create sustainable communities, and provide certainty at every stage of the development lifecycle while making a lasting positive contribution to the places in which it builds.

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This integrated approach delivers significant benefits. Design decisions can be assessed through the lens of construction efficiency, customer expectations, and long-term performance, while lessons learned through purchaser engagement can be incorporated into future developments.

The result is a continuous cycle of improvement that benefits clients, residents, and communities alike.

Churchfields, Malahide Road, Parnell Street, and The Willows, the company has embraced modern methods of construction alongside lean planning and delivery processes. These approaches improve programme certainty, enhance quality assurance, reduce waste, and support more sustainable construction practices.

W: www.gemconstruction.ie

Importantly, Bannow Road and Sillogue represent only the beginning of a broader pipeline of developments planned under the Clúid Innovation Partnership. Additional schemes are expected to progress over the coming months and years, creating a significant programme of residential delivery and further supporting the supply of much-needed housing.

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Housing Ireland magazine

Northern Ireland Housing Conference 2026 Joshua Murray, Housing Ireland; conference chair Paddy Gray, Ulster University; Grainia Long, Northern Ireland Housing Executive; Martin Haran, Ulster University; and Seamus Leheny, Northern Ireland Federation of Housing Associations.

The 2026 Northern Ireland Housing Conference took place on Wednesday 25 March at The Europa Hotel, Belfast. Over 120 delegates attended the event, hearing from speakers, both visiting and local, from organisations including the Department for Communities; Northern Ireland Housing Executive; Scottish Federation of Housing Associations; Simon Community; and Radius Housing.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank the 2026 conference speakers, exhibitors, and delegates who joined us at The Europa Hotel and made the conference a huge success.

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Laura O’Dowd, Ark Housing Association; Loma Wilson, Radius Housing; and Kelly Foster, Ark Housing Association.

Michelle McAnespy, Choice Housing with conference chair Paddy Gray, Ulster University.

Maurice Millar, Triangle Housing Association; Ursula McAnulty, Northern Ireland Housing Executive; and Ann Marie Isherwood, Triangle Housing Association.

Paul Price, Department for Communities answering a question from a delegate.

Exhibitors Kyle Foster and Maureen Holmes, Legrand Care alongside speaker Stephanie Elliot, Scottish Federation of Housing Associations.

Housing Ireland magazine

Working at HAIL: A career that makes a difference For over 40 years, Housing Association for Integrated Living (HAIL) has provided homes to people with long-term mental health support needs as well as general needs social housing.

Our visiting tenancy sustainment model supports people to live independently and be integrated in the community. But behind every home, every tenancy and every success story is a team of people who genuinely care.

That is what it is like to work at HAIL.

At HAIL, we are proud of the culture we have built. We believe in looking after our staff as well as the people we support. Collaboration, respect and trust are not just words on a wall, they are how we work every day. We encourage new ideas, support professional

As we celebrated our 40th anniversary last year, it was a chance to reflect on how far we have come. What stood out most was not just the number of homes we have delivered or the services we have expanded, it was the people who made it all possible. The dedication, compassion and expertise of our staff have shaped HAIL into the organisation it is today, and they will continue to shape where we go next.

We are growing, expanding our housing programme and developing new services, which means we are always looking for talented people who want to make a real difference.

If you are looking for a role where you can do meaningful work, be part of a great team and make a genuine difference to people’s lives, we would love to hear from you.

Together, we provide the key to independent living. Get in touch to find out more about joining the HAIL team please contact:

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Whether you are working in housing, tenancy sustainment support, property, development, communications, finance or administration, you are part of something bigger. Every role matters because every role helps someone build a better future.

development and create opportunities for people to grow their careers. From wellbeing initiatives and reflective practice to learning opportunities and cross-team collaboration, we want our staff to feel supported to do their best work.

move into their first home to supporting them in sustaining their tenancy and becoming part of their local community, the work is both rewarding and purposeful.

T: 01 671 8444 E: info@hail.ie

Our teams see first-hand the positive impact that secure housing and the right tenancy sustainment support can have on people’s lives. From helping someone

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Housing Ireland magazine

Building the future of cost rental 7,200 applications were received for 161 Cost Rental homes at Whitehaven, Santry.

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November 2025 marked a significant milestone for Tuath Housing with the official opening of Whitehaven in Santry. As Tuath’s first development built to Passivhaus standards, it set a new benchmark for sustainable housing, delivering 255 ultra-low energy homes designed to improve comfort and affordability for its residents.

The most striking feature of the development was not its construction standards, but the demand it generated.

More than 7,200 applications were received for just 161 cost rental homes at Whitehaven. That figure highlights both the appeal of cost rental and the scale of Ireland's affordability challenge.

In 2025, Tuath received 66,292 applications for just over 1,000 cost rental homes. By July 2026 alone, more

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than 50,000 applications had been received for the 519 cost rental homes provided so far this year. As Tuath CEO Sean O’Connor has noted: “The numbers delivered help, but they do not meet the scale of demand we are seeing. Applications for cost rental far exceed availability, and people’s circumstances show how urgent the need remains for secure, affordable homes.”

Bridging a critical housing gap Since its introduction in 2021, cost rental has evolved from an innovative housing initiative into a growing and necessary part of Ireland’s housing system. While social housing remains vital, a growing number of middle-income earners find themselves caught between eligibility thresholds and an increasingly unaffordable private market.

Addressing this gap requires sustained delivery and keeping affordability at the heart of housing policy. By providing homes at rents at least 25 per cent below market rates and offering longterm security of tenure, cost rental provides stability and peace of mind.

The Cost Rental Equity Loan model, combined with Tuath’s ability to secure competitive funding via the Housing Finance Agency, have significantly strengthened our ability to provide homes at scale with local authority and development partners.

A construction-led approach and focus on value for money have also helped achieve deeper affordability, with cost rents in many locations more than 30 per cent below market rates. Backed by modern methods of construction and high-quality A-rated and Passivhaus homes, this approach combines faster delivery with lower energy costs and strong environmental performance.

Housing Ireland magazine

Meeting need across Ireland Housing is critical national infrastructure.

A functioning housing system supports employment, education, family life and economic growth. This is reflected in the Government’s action plan, Delivering Homes, Building Communities, with its focus on increasing supply, supporting regional development and strengthening communities. Ireland needs not only more homes, but the right homes in the right places.

While affordability remains acute in major cities, demand is equally strong across regional towns and counties.

Recent launches, including Dundalk’s first cost rental homes, where over 900 applications were received for 24 homes in the first week, demonstrate the scale of need beyond the Greater Dublin Area.

Tuath is committed to expanding its regional cost rental programme, building on success seen in recent years in Drogheda, Mullingar, Portlaoise, Cork, Galway, and Waterford. Together, these developments highlight Cost Rental’s growing role in meeting housing need across Ireland.

Housing that strengthens communities

Equally important is delivering a mix of housing types that reflects changing needs, from apartments for single people and key workers to family and accessible homes. Meeting housing need requires not only greater supply, but greater choice.

Developments like Montpelier in Dublin 7, the regeneration of the former O’Devaney Gardens site, show what this can achieve in practice. In partnership with Dublin City Council, construction commenced in February 2023 and will deliver 1,046 A-rated homes by 2028 across a mix of social, cost rental, affordable purchase and private tenures.

This mix of tenures strengthens local communities and allows neighbourhoods to better reflect the diversity of modern Ireland.

A permanent part of Ireland’s housing system Today, Tuath manages 2,357 cost rental homes across 13 local authority areas, with a projected 2,800 homes by the end of 2026. The current portfolio spans all four Dublin local authorities as well as Cork, Galway City and County, Kildare, Laois, Louth, Meath, Waterford, and Westmeath, with Tuath’s first cost rental homes in Wicklow due this year.

requires robust governance, regulatory compliance, financial resilience and the expertise to deliver and manage homes effectively. Tuath’s Board of Voluntary Directors has fully embraced cost rental as a key tenure and remains committed to supporting this growth.

As Ireland’s leading provider of cost rental housing, Tuath welcomes the continued commitment of government, the Housing Finance Agency and each local authority, whose support remains vital to delivery at scale. Cost rental is no longer a pilot initiative. It provides affordability, security, and choice while supporting balanced communities and economic growth. The challenge now is not proving the model works, it is meeting the clear demand we are seeing across Ireland.

W: www.tuathhousing.ie

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Cost rental works best when it forms part of mixed-tenure developments that bring together people from different backgrounds and stages of life. Rather than creating housing defined by a single tenure or income group, this approach supports balanced and sustainable communities.

The Montpelier development on the site of the former O’Devaney Gardens.

Nearly 3,500 additional cost rental homes are currently in the delivery pipeline across 13 local authority areas.

While delivery continues to increase, the scale of demand shows that greater supply is required if cost rental is to fulfil its potential. Growth on this scale

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Charles Ward TD reflects on how failures in regulation and oversight became a national housing and social challenge, and why restoring homes must go hand in hand with rebuilding communities.

Every housing system depends on trust. People trust that the home they buy is safe and that the systems designed to protect them will respond when things go wrong. For thousands of families affected by defective concrete blocks, that trust was broken.

I never set out to enter politics. When I found myself on the receiving end of system failure, I had a choice: remain on the sidelines or step forward and fight. Before becoming a TD, I had a fulfilling career as a healthcare professional. Politics was never my plan, but this crisis changed my path from seeking answers to fighting for them.

This was never simply a problem with defective concrete. It became a wider

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failure of regulation, enforcement, market surveillance, and consumer protection.

During the construction boom, regulatory failures allowed defective products into homes. Families bought in good faith, trusting the standards, certifications, and oversight systems designed to protect them. They were not responsible for that failure.

It is estimated that at least 30,000 homes in Donegal are affected. Behind that figure are families who worked, saved, and borrowed for a home they believed was safe. They did not choose the materials, set the standards, or create the failure they now carry.

Initially identified as a mica problem following a desktop study, the crisis

shaped the State’s response for years.

Homeowners campaigned for further research, revealing a more complex picture involving iron sulphide attack and other forms of concrete deterioration.

For affected families, terminology mattered because it shaped the response. Homeowners fought for the science to reflect the damage occurring in their homes. When understanding changes, the response must change with it.

IS 465 is not simply a technical standard. For homeowners, it can determine whether their homes are recognised and their futures restored. I know this crisis personally because I became one of those homeowners.

Credit: X/Mica Redress.

Housing Ireland magazine

Lessons from Ireland’s defective concrete blocks crisis

I was given an engineering assessment based on the original understanding of the problem. I believe it did not reflect the true damage mechanism affecting my home, leaving me trapped in limbo.

I know what it feels like to spend winters in an affected home, unsure of what the future holds. Since entering public life, I have heard the same fears from families and elderly homeowners across Donegal still waiting for resolution.

Ulster University research has exposed the human cost of this crisis, highlighting severe mental health impacts among affected homeowners.

This is not just a housing failure; it is a community crisis.

The campaign for justice was built by homeowners themselves; ordinary people who became activists because they had no choice. They organised, protested, and demanded answers.

They were not seeking compensation or upgrades. They were seeking the restoration of homes they bought in good faith. Instead, many were left with a grant scheme of last resort, financial gaps, and years of delay.

A capped scheme cannot stand still while costs rise. Every delay widens the gap between State funding and the true cost of restoring homes. The exclusion of foundations, inadequate upfront funding, delays in delivery, and the failure to enable side-by-side rebuilding where possible have prolonged a crisis families did not create.

For homeowners downgraded during the transition to the revised scheme, the uncertainty has been profound.

Assessments previously carried out by registered engineers were re-evaluated through desk-based reviews, with some homeowners assigned lesser remediation options that did not address the full extent of damage they believe exists in their homes.

Some have waited almost five years for appeals to be resolved while their homes continue to deteriorate and costs rise.

The impact extends far beyond individual homes. Across Donegal, the crisis has affected community buildings, rentals, social housing, mortgages, insurance, conveyancing, and property values.

100% Redress The principle behind 100% Redress is simple. Homeowners should not bear the cost of failures in systems designed to protect them. They seek restoration, not compensation.

The political consequences of this crisis cannot be ignored. Years of delay and rejected proposals eroded trust in the political system and led to the creation of the 100% Redress Party.

Since entering the Dáil, we have continued the fight through relentless advocacy, holding government to account, and standing alongside affected families.

Ireland needs more homes. But housing policy must also ensure people can trust the homes they buy.

With similar concerns emerging elsewhere, this is now a national challenge for housing standards, consumer protection, and confidence in the construction sector.

The defective concrete crisis must be a turning point; one that strengthens regulation, restores confidence, and ensures families are never again left carrying the cost of systemic failure.

When domestic systems failed to provide answers, homeowners sought European scrutiny. Their complaint to the European Commission and the European Parliament’s fact-finding mission to Donegal highlighted concerns around construction products, market surveillance, and consumer protection; a situation that should concern every policymaker.

The homes restored must be homes built to last, providing a permanent solution for families and ensuring public funds deliver a lasting outcome.

The Coleman Legal challenge represents another step in the pursuit of justice, seeking accountability for failures in defective construction products, certification, and oversight.

Housing Ireland magazine

“The defective concrete crisis must be a turning point; one that strengthens regulation, restores confidence, and ensures families are never again left carrying the cost of systemic failure.”

The task is clear and it must begin in earnest: restore homes, rebuild trust, and rebuild our communities.

Charles Ward is a 100% Redress TD who represents Donegal in Dáil Éireann.

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Increasing housing affordability With Ireland’s average house price increasing by 103 per cent since 2015, 38 per cent above the EU average, and the median age of home buyers in 2024 being 40 according to the CSO, the State has made increasing affordability a key pillar of its housing plan.

Central to Delivering Homes, Building Communities 2025-2030, published by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage in November 2025, is the commitment to deliver an average of 15,000 affordable housing supports each year through the Starter Homes Programme.

The programme will bring together a variety of existing homeownership supports under one umbrella to strengthen the focus of these initiatives while also expanding them in some cases.

The Help to Buy Scheme, which assists first-time buyers with deposit costs and can be combined with other supports, is being revised and extended to 2030.

Similarly, the Government is engaging with banks to extend the First Home Scheme until 2030.

Through this scheme the Government and participating banks provide support for up to 30 per cent of the home’s cost in return for equity in the property which can be bought back.

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This scheme is being expanded to include those building their own home and tenants purchasing their home from their landlord, with a future view to include first-time buyers who want to purchase and renovate derelict or longterm vacant properties to live in.

To ensure that affordable housing schemes are available nationwide, local authorities that currently have no affordable purchasing project will be supported through the Affordable Housing Fund to bring forward new developments.

Additionally, the Local Authority Home Loan, which provides a governmentbacked mortgage for eligible first-time buyers, will be reviewed to ensure that the income and house price thresholds accurately represent the market conditions.

The increased delivery will involve an expansion of the role and remit of the LDA, which will be supported through additional AHS funding.

Housing delivery Measures are also being taken to ensure that there is suitable housing delivery to meet the demand of the affordability support schemes.

Under the Starter Home Purchase Scheme, the Government says it will provide enhanced funding to local authorities and the Land Development Agency (LDA) to deliver increased affordable housing.

Another action designed to improve delivery is the development of standardised designs and specifications for homes.

By creating these consistent housing templates and encouraging the wider use of modern methods of construction, the Government aims to lower building costs, increase the scale of construction, and reduce delivery times.

Rental affordability The Starter Home Programme also intends to provide greater affordability

National Residential Property Price Index, May 2016 - May 2026 Base: 2015 = 100 220 200 180 160 140 120

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for renters by supporting the wider availability of cost rental homes through increased funding.

Introduced in 2021, these properties offer long-term rents which are at least 25 per cent below market rate to people who earn too much for social housing but struggle with high private rents.

The delivery of new cost rental homes is also exempt from corporation tax, making these projects more viable and ensuring the 25 per cent discount can be maintained.

There will also be a review of cost rental delivery streams, with plans to create a single funding model across local authorities, approved housing bodies, private developers, and the LDA. The strategy also commits to supporting local authorities to develop more cost rental homes by ensuring that borrowing limits are not a barrier to their delivery.

Additional support for renters comes through the extension of the Rent Tax Credit to the end of 2028, which reduces an individual’s income tax payment by 20 per cent of their annual rent, up to €1,000. This amount will be progressively increased through the period of the strategy.

The strategy also commits to strengthening the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB), with a particular focus on reducing dispute resolution times through a new system.

To support this, the RTB’s budget for 2026 was raised from €14.5 million in 2025 to €22.8 million, a 57 per cent increase.

As committed to in the Programme for Government, a National Rent Price Register will also be published, providing greater transparency by allowing tenants and landlords to view price information in specific areas.

To ensure compliance with legal standards, the Government aims to support local authorities to meet their annual target of inspecting 25 per cent of private rented tenancies in their area.

Increased student accommodation is highlighted as a tool to reduce pressure on the rental market and prevent housing costs becoming a barrier to accessing higher education.

The National Student Accommodation Strategy 2026-2035 aims to increase the amount of new accommodation through supply and viability measures and provide targeted affordability supports for priority groups.

New rental rules The Government commits to stronger protections for tenants, focusing on legislation to increase the security of tenure.

These new rules, introduced in March 2026, guarantee renters a minimum sixyear term and reduce the grounds for terminating a tenancy to; if a tenant breaches their obligations, the property is no longer suitable, the landlord must sell to avoid financial hardship, or if they need to live in the property.

From the same period, rent increases for new and existing tenancies are capped in line with the rate of general inflation or 2 per cent a year, whichever is lower.

However, for private tenancies created from this date, landlords can reset the rent at market rate if the last tenancy was not ended by a no-fault eviction.

This part of the bill was controversial and received significant criticism from opposition parties, who warned it would cause rent increases, which may have already occurred.

A report from Daft.ie found that rents rose by as much between December 2025 and March 2026, 4.4 per cent, as they did over the whole of 2025, which is the largest quarterly gain on record back to 2002.

Additionally, data from the RTB shows that eviction notices issued by landlords rose by 50 per cent in the first quarter of 2026 compared to the previous year, from 4.693 to 7,062.

Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, James Browne TD says: “These supports will allow thousands of people to realise their ambition of homeownership and ensure that those who wish to rent can do so at affordable prices.”

Sinn Féin housing spokesperson Eoin Ó Broin TD says: “Neither the cost rental nor the affordable purchase targets are anywhere close to what is needed.

“Government should be funding and delivering an average of 10,000 affordable homes every year, split evenly between cost rental and genuinely affordable purchase. Their failure to do this is actively contributing to the ever-deepening affordable housing crisis.”

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Activating supply Housing Ireland magazine

Karen Kenny, senior adviser at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, outlines the elements necessary to unlock housing across Ireland and the role the Housing Activation Office (HAO) will play in housing development.

Karen Kenny praises the Government for its “clear commitment” to increase investment in critical infrastructure, calling particular attention towards the Government’s new housing plan Delivering Homes, Building Communities, published in November 2025.

Kenny says zoning additional land, and integrating housing plans into city and country development plans is critical. However, she says this is “pointless” if there are no mechanisms in place to ensure land is serviced and ready to deliver homes. She says that there is a “clear commitment to focus on activation” but adds that a clear path to activation is needed.

The Housing Activation Office (HAO) was established in April 2025. Its purpose is to “accelerate the delivery of the public infrastructure projects that are needed to unlock key housing lands in towns and cities right across Ireland”, Kenny says.

Kenny explains that the key focus of the HAO is to “develop a national picture of the key strategic housing sites around the country”. Kenny elaborates on this, stating that the HAO has engaged with all 31 local authorities and the Land Development Agency (LDA), to get their perspective on issues at a local level and what needs to be improved.

The HAO also has a procedural role to “unlock structural and procedural issues” to alleviate roadblocks to housing delivery. Kenny says that the office has seen the procedural frustrations that stakeholders are dealing with, along with the lack of financial resources available to afford infrastructure.

Kenny explains that one of the key elements in Delivering Homes, Building Communities is the “record levels of investment” the Government commits to housing. She states that a critical part of the HAO was having its own fund to invest directly into housing enabling infrastructure, which bridges funding gaps in relation to “certain types of infrastructure”.

Housing Infrastructure Investment Fund The Housing Infrastructure Investment Fund (HIIF) is, as Kenny describes, the “largest ringfenced housing infrastructure investment fund that has been launched in Ireland ever”. The €1 billion fund supports direct investment in infrastructure needed to activate supply.

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The fund is part of the Government’s target to construct 300,000 homes by the end of 2030. Kenny also states that HIIF is designed to “complement, not replace” investment from other departments or agencies.

A housing activation delivery group was established to coordinate investment decisions across utilities, which Kenny says includes senior officials from government departments and infrastructure agencies. An early call for applications through HIFF Call one, was launched on 21 January 2026 and by the application closure they had over 130 applications from across 30 local authority areas.

Kenny says: “The number of applications and the scale of interest show how necessary the fund is and how necessary our role will be in bringing together all the different types of investment in housing enabling infrastructure.”

Kenny stresses that fund applications must be related to public infrastructure that enables housing development. Local authorities and the LDA have highlighted that transport, water, electricity, and other infrastructure needed “under relevant development plans” are necessary to activate housing land.

“That is the first step, and we do intend to develop the fund into 2026 to include a broader range of delivery mechanisms and approaches, and a broader range of public and private sector delivery partners,” Kenny says.

Housing Ireland magazine

“The number of applications and the scale of interest show how necessary the fund is and how necessary our role will be in bringing together all the different types of investment in housing enabling infrastructure.” greater speed”. Kenny states that by relying on one delivery partner, the HAO would not get the pace of delivery needed to accelerate housing.

Priorities The main priority for the HAO is to assess applications to the fund “as quickly as possible”. This is to be achieved by assessing them against the predetermined eligibility and assessment criteria set out within the scheme. It also intends to continue to develop the fund and address known obstacles as quickly as possible to activate housing.

Other priorities outlined by Kenny include the growth and building of HIIF, bringing onboard other delivery mechanisms, and welcoming new delivery partners. Kenny says these additions would help accelerate housing delivery and enable the HAO to incorporate more strategic investment and planning for new housing areas.

Kenny concludes by saying that building relationships and engagement with key stakeholders such as local authority, transport services, and local government sectors is “critical” for the HAO to “continue to break down the silos and start to work together in a more coordinated way to activate land”.

"We are getting ahead of the curve and starting to really unlock that delivery at scale, but we need to make sure the HAO will have a key role in building that pace and momentum in other places as well.”

Kenny explains that the reason for this is to “accelerate infrastructure delivery at a

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Who’s who Housing Ireland magazine

Jim Baneham Jim Baneham is Director of Delivery and Innovation at The Housing Agency. He graduated from DIT Bolton Street in 1989 as a Chartered Quantity Surveyor and began working with the National Building Agency (NBA) in the area of delivery of social housing and other local authority facilities. Jim moved to The Housing Agency in 2011 and helped develop the AHB funding model. More recently Jim has played a central role in delivering cost rental housing through the Cost Rental Equity Loan (CREL) and Secure Tenancy Affordable Rental (STAR) schemes and led on implementing the Croí Cónaithe (Cities) scheme.

Pat Barry Pat Barry is Chief Executive Officer of the Irish Green Building Council (IGBC) which he co-founded in 2010. He is an architect with many years of experience in Ireland and Europe, a Masters in Environmental design of buildings from University of Cardiff and is a qualified Passive House and DGNB consultant. The IGBC is an membership organisation of over 430 corporate members with a mission of transitioning Ireland construction sector to sustainability, through advocacy, education and innovation, a partner in Construct Innovate – Ireland’s construction technology centre. IGBC run a number of programmes including Home Performance Index the national certification for quality sustainable new homes and EPD Ireland a programme for Irish construction product manufacturers to transparently declare the environmental impact of their products.

Paul Benson Paul has responsibility at Assistant Secretary level for the Social Housing Delivery Division at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage with responsibility for leading and overseeing the delivery of commitments in the Programme for Government and under Housing for All in respect of social housing delivery and advancing related objectives under the National Development Plan and Project Ireland 2040. This includes the delivery of 90,000 new build social homes by Local Authorities and Approved Housing Bodies by 2030 and further delivery of new social homes through acquisition and leasing programmes. The division is supported in this work by the Housing Agency, the Housing Delivery Co-Ordination Office (HDCO), the NDFA and the Departments own Housing Advisory Unit’s Architectural and Quantity Surveyor teams.

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Neil Bolton Neil Bolton, Respond’s Director of Housing, has almost 30 years of strategic and operational experience in social housing in the UK and Ireland.

He has held executive roles, including Operations Director and Property Director with Clúid Housing in Ireland and Customer Services Director for a large Bathbased Housing Association in the UK. Neil also worked in senior housing roles for Bristol City Council and served as a non-executive Director for the Irish Council for Social Housing from 2015-2017. He holds a PG Diploma in Housing Studies, a PG Diploma in Business and Executive Coaching and a PG Diploma in Organisational Transformation and Change. He is a Chartered Member of the Chartered Institute of Housing.

Hugh Brennan Hugh Brennan is CEO of Ó Cualann Cohousing Alliance CLG. Hugh had worked in various contracting and consulting roles in Ireland before spending 10 years on Humanitarian Aid projects in South Africa and Haiti.

Returning to Ireland, he co-founded Ó Cualann in 2014. Hugh has assumed the lead in developing the Ó Cualann model for affordable housing delivery throughout Ireland.

Kieron Brennan Kieron Brennan has been CEO of Cooperative Housing Ireland since 2014.

He has extensive experience in the community, voluntary and co-operative sector, which saw him lead the Irish League of Credit Unions from 20082014. Prior to this, he held a leadership position as a Programme Manager with POBAL, a not-for-profit community development and financing company, which manages programmes on behalf of the Irish Government and the EU. He was also Irish Manager of Triodos Bank (one of Europe’s largest ethical banks), Executive Director of Clann Credo (social development fund), and Chief Executive of Partas.

Housing Ireland magazine

Who’s who James Browne TD was appointed Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage in January 2025. He was previously Minister of State Department of Justice with responsibility for International Law, Law Reform and Youth Justice. James was first elected to Dáil Éireann in the February 2016 general election as a representative of Wexford. He has served as the Fianna Fáil Spokesperson on Mental Health, leading initiatives to reform mental health services in Ireland, including the Mental Health (Amendment) Act 2018 and served on the Oireachtas Committee on the Future of Mental Healthcare. He was born in Enniscorthy, Wexford, and is the oldest of a family of four. He was educated locally at St. Mary’s CBS, Enniscorthy before attending Waterford IT, University College Cork and the King’s Inns. He was called to the Bar in 2006.

Paul Carroll As Director of Housing at Fingal County Council since 2023, Paul Carroll is responsible for all aspects of housing delivery and housing operations and community development across Fingal, working with elected members, community stakeholders and industry partners to support the ongoing sustainable growth of the county. Paul is a member of various sectoral groups including the CCMA Housing Committee and the Government Construction Contracts Committee. A graduate of Trinity College Dublin, Paul also holds postgraduate qualifications in strategic procurement, engineering and local government studies.

Carroll joined Fingal County Council in 2017 as senior engineer in the Planning and Strategic Infrastructure Department, prior to which he worked as an engineer and project manager in a number of local authority, central government, and private sector organisations.

Padraic Clancy Padraic Clancy is Director of New Business and Development, leading the Co-operative Housing Ireland Development Team. Padraic has over 25 years’ experience in property acquisition and development and holds an Honours Degree in Surveying and a National Diploma in Estate Management.

Padraic has managed properties on behalf of NAMA, all major Banks and receivers and is a specialist in property management, security and maintenance. Padraic was previously Head of VPSitex in Ireland, managing the security and maintenance works on large mixed property portfolios for PWC, Mazars, Grant Thornton and Duff and Phelps.

Housing Ireland magazine

James Browne TD

John Coleman John Coleman is the founding Chief Executive of The Land Development Agency (LDA). He was responsible for taking the LDA from concept in 2019 to being one of Ireland’s most prominent housing development and delivery organisations with €8.75 billion of capital capacity and over 300 staff. Under his leadership, the LDA has assembled a land portfolio with the capacity for 30,000 homes of which several thousand are in construction. Previous to setting up the LDA, John was Chief Financial Officer at the National Asset Management Agency (NAMA).

John is a graduate of University College Dublin (BComm) and a chartered accountant (FCA). Prior to joining NAMA in 2011 he worked in banking and accountancy.

Mary Conway Mary Conway is Chairperson at Irish Property Owners Association. The IPOA seeks to promote and protect the interests of private residential property owners providing rental housing in all counties. Mary is a qualified Nurse and Midwife and with a Master’s Degree in Nursing (Clinical Practice) from UCD. She has been a residential landlord for 30 years with experience in student lets, houses of multiple occupancy apartment letting, and Airbnb. She is the Dublin regional director for Cronin Naughton Properties which is a Cork based estate agency providing property management, lettings and sales. Mary is Ireland’s first Senior Move manager and Certified Living in Place Professional.

Sharon Cosgrove Sharon Cosgrove has served as CEO of Oaklee since 2016, leading significant growth and organisational transformation during her tenure. She leads an ambitious team passionate about improving the lives of Oaklee residents through the delivery of highquality social and affordable housing. Prior to joining Oaklee, Sharon held several senior leadership roles in the NGO sector, including Chief Executive of the Asthma Society of Ireland and Sonas Housing. She is focused on delivering social and affordable housing at scale, maintaining high standards of customer service, fostering a strong safety and compliance culture, and ensuring the long-term financial sustainability of the organisation. Sharon is a founding member of the Housing Alliance and currently chairs an ICSH working group. She has championed innovation at Oaklee, including the delivery of Acorn Housing’s Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) and the Comhar Consortium, which delivered Ireland’s first social housing Public Private Partnership (PPP) bundle. Sharon remains committed to delivering Oaklee’s Corporate Strategy 2024-2026, with a focus on providing more homes through strong partnerships and strengthening communication and stakeholder engagement. Work has also commenced on the development of Oaklee’s next Corporate Strategy for 2027-2029.

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Housing Ireland magazine

Housing Ireland magazine

Who’s who Kath Cottier Kath Cottier was appointed as CEO at Fold Housing in 2023. Kath has over 25 years’ experience working in the Irish housing association sector; leading development, property and housing teams. Prior to Fold, at executive level in Clúid Housing, she was responsible for front-line services and working to lead the organisations strategic development and growth as well as contribute to strengthening the Housing Association sector.

Kath holds an MA in geography, diplomas in urban and community development, and property and facilities management, and an MSc in management practice from the Irish Management Institute. She is a chartered member of the Chartered Institute of Housing, and chair of its Ireland Board.

John Cummins TD John Cummins TD is a Minister of State at the Department of Housing, local Government and Heritage with responsibility for local government and planning. Cummins was elected to the Dáil in the 2024 general election in the Waterford constituency. Prior to this, he was a Fine Gael Senator between 2020 and 2024, also serving as the party's housing spokesperson.

Niall Cussen Niall Cussen is Ireland’s Planning Regulator and Chief Executive of the Office of the Planning Regulator (OPR) since its establishment in April 2019.

The OPR works to ensure Ireland develops sustainably while protecting our environment and enhancing communities. The OPR independently assesses statutory local government plans for their fit with Government planning policy and conducts reviews of systems and procedures used by local authorities and An Coimisiún Pleanála in their statutory planning functions. OPR also conducts research, training and public awareness around planning. Prior to his appointment, Niall was Chief Planner at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.

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Peter Curran Peter Curran is Co-Head of the Projects, Infrastructure and Energy group in Beauchamps. He is a commercial lawyer and public procurement specialist with 27 years’ experience of advising approved housing bodies, housing associations, local authorities, government departments, public sector organisations/agencies and major utilities on all aspects of project delivery. He has advised on the procurement of some of the most significant contracts awarded in Ireland and Northern Ireland in recent years, including several valued in excess of €1 billion.

He has particular experience of advising on the procurement of largescale infrastructure (including housing and mixed-development projects) and housing-related services. He is also known for his expertise in procurement dispute resolution and has represented clients in many significant court cases in recent years. Peter is ranked as a leading or highly recommended lawyer by the independent legal directories (Chambers Europe, Legal 500 and Lexology Index).

Dara Deering Dara Deering is CEO of Home Building Finance Ireland having joined the organisation in 2019. Dara has extensive experience in financial services having previously served as Executive Director and Head of Retail Banking at KBC Bank Ireland plc since February 2012. During that time Dara led the launch and implementation of a new retail bank, broadening the range of products and services available, and offering a new banking alternative for Irish consumers.

Prior to her time in KBC Dara held a number of leadership positions in the retail financial services industry. She holds an MBA from Smurfit Business School and a Bachelor of Science Management from Trinity College Dublin.

Housing Ireland magazine

Who’s who Graham Doyle is Secretary General of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, having been appointed in July 2020 after the formation of the new Government.

Previously he was Secretary General of the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport. Graham was an external recruit to the Civil Service in 2013, initially responsible for the public transport and climate change portfolio. His background is in aviation management and business consulting with experience in insolvency, corporate finance, and business strategy. He is a Chartered Accountant by profession, having trained with PwC, and holds a range of business-related qualifications, including an MBA. Beyond his own role, Graham is a member of cross-government groups and boards including, for example, the Civil Service Management Board, the Public Service Leadership Board, and the Project Ireland 2040 Delivery Board.

Sinead Dunne Sinead Dunne joined The Housing Agency as CFO in October 2022. A qualified accountant by profession, she has over 20 years’ experience in leadership roles across the private and public sector having worked with AIB, Accenture, The Institute of Public Administration, Musgraves, South Dublin County Council and Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council. She holds a BA from UCD along with Diplomas in Leadership Development and Executive Coaching from Smurfit Business School.

Daniel Eagling Daniel Eagling is Project Director at KSNPM and President of the Ireland Chapter of PMI, the youngest person to hold the role. Over 15 years, he has delivered complex infrastructure and housing programmes across Ireland, Canada and Australia, with a combined portfolio value exceeding €6.5 billion. He has overseen a capital value of €2.9 billion in affordable housing across Ireland and Canada, working with government, local authorities and contractors to accelerate delivery. Previously at Cairn Homes, he led on the Clonburris SDZ, one of Ireland’s largest mixeduse masterplans. He is recognised for stakeholder leadership and translating strategy into measurable housing outcomes.

Housing Ireland magazine

Graham Doyle

Fiona Egan Fiona Egan is a partner in Beauchamps' Projects, Infrastructure and Energy team who specialises in both contentious and non-contentious construction across a range of sectors with a particular focus on housing and related infrastructure. She works with a variety of public and private bodies, including developers, local authorities, utilities, contractors, approved housing bodies and lending institutions. Fiona offers a ‘cradle to grave’ service in the development and management of projects, including regulatory and health and safety advice, and the avoidance and resolution of any disputes that may arise. Fiona has a wealth of experience in drafting and negotiating all standard form construction contracts and ancillary documentation and specialises in various forms of alternative dispute resolution, including mediation, conciliation and adjudication, as a means of resolving disputes and mitigating delay and cost overrun early on in a project life cycle.

Pat Fitzpatrick Pat Fitzpatrick is Director of Services and Inclusion at The Housing Agency. Pat’s Directorate consists of teams including AHB Services and Part V, the National Housing First Office, Property Optimisation, Mortgage to Rent, Disability Services and Housing Support Services, all of which act as centres of excellence in their given areas to support The Housing Agency’s stakeholders. Pat joined The Housing Agency in 2010 and served in several roles including Head of Regulation in the AHB Regulation Office under the Voluntary Regulation Code. Pat started his career with Dublin City Council before moving to the Affordable Homes Partnership in 2005.

Barry Gorman Barry Gorman is the National Renewables Sales Manager at leading heating technology manufacturer Grant and has over 20 years’ experience in the heating sector. Barry is responsible for helping to advance the deployment of renewables in Ireland through Grant’s award-winning sustainable and highly efficient heating technologies including the award-winning Grant Aerona R290 air source heat pump, new Quick Recovery Cylinder range designed for modern heat pump systems, HVO biofuel ready Grant Vortex condensing boilers and associated products. Barry leads the team working closely with local authorities, builders and developers across the country to support social housing projects, new build developments and retrofit projects to provide integrated heating solutions and technical support.

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Housing Ireland magazine

Housing Ireland magazine

Who’s who Paddy Gray Paddy Gray is Professor Emeritus of Housing at Ulster University. He has over 300 publications in housing. In 2010 he was appointed the first and only Irish President of the Chartered Institute of Housing. He is a regular media commentator on housing related issues. He is currently Chair of the Wheatley Foundation. In Ireland he is Chair of Tuath Housing Association and iCare Housing, Dublin. In 2017 he was appointed to the Board of the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) in Ireland and Chairs its Research Committee. He is a former Chair and currently a board member of Connswater Belfast and is on the boards of First Housing and Support Services, and Advice Northwest Derry as well as Safeagent Cheltenham. In 2012 he was awarded an honorary Fellowship of RICS. In 2015 he won the UK national award for Outstanding Contribution to Work Experience. In 2016 he hosted the European Network for Housing Research (ENHR) annual conference in Belfast, the first time it had come to Northern Ireland. In 2017 he was named the top power player in housing in the UK and in 2019 was awarded an OBE for services to housing. In 2021 he was appointed to the Housing Commission in Ireland.

Ber Grogan Ber Grogan is Executive Director of the Simon Communities of Ireland, leading the organisation's national advocacy, policy, and public engagement work to end homelessness. She brings over two decades of experience across the charity and political sectors, with expertise in social policy reform, strategic advocacy, and coalition building. Prior to joining Simon Communities of Ireland in 2025, she was Manager in Mental Health Reform, championing improvements in mental health services and policy. Throughout her career, Ber has worked on homelessness from both frontline and policy perspectives, supporting vulnerable young people while advancing legislative and systemic solutions to housing exclusion.

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John Hannigan John Hannigan is Chief Executive Officer of Circle Voluntary Housing Association.

He took up his current position in September 2017. John previously held the position of Managing Director of Sunbeam House Services from 2010.

Prior to that, he worked as Finance Director with Respond Housing Association.

John is a Member of the Board of The Housing Alliance, an alliance of seven of the largest Housing Associations in Ireland. John has more than 30 years’ experience in the Social Housing sector in the UK and Ireland. He is the Chair of the Governing Board of the Chartered Institute of Housing with 17,000 members worldwide.

John is a Chartered Director, a Fellow of the CIH and a Fellow of the Chartered Association of Certified Accountants.

Sian Harper Sian Harper joined Clúid in 2020 and is Chief Legal Officer, having previously served as General Counsel. With more than 25 years’ experience in legal practice and corporate advisory roles, she brings significant expertise in property, development and strategic legal matters. Sian was formerly a commercial property partner in a top-tier law firm and held senior in-house legal positions with two large-scale organisations. Sian has extensive experience advising developers and investors on the acquisition, development, funding and disposal of residential, commercial and mixed-use developments. Sian holds postqualification certificates from the Law Society of Ireland in Commercial Contracts, Banking and Construction Law. She is also a certified Personal Insolvency Practitioner.

Roger Harrington Roger Harrington is a Principal Officer at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and since 2020 has responsibility for the policy and operations for the Capital Advance Leasing Facility (CALF). He has over 30 years’ experience in a variety of policy and operational roles across a number of Government Departments. Roger holds an MSc in Public Policy from Dublin City University.

Housing Ireland magazine

Who’s who Jennifer Hawthorne was appointed the Director of Housing Services at the Northern Ireland Housing Executive in April 2022. She is responsible for a division with 1,500 staff and manages 83,000 Housing Executive homes across Northern Ireland. She is also responsible for the management of all homelessness services in Northern Ireland. Since joining the Housing Executive in 1978, Jennifer has worked in a number of roles throughout her career in the Housing Executive, including Regional Manager for Belfast, Public Relations Manager for Belfast and operational manager for the Shankill area. Jennifer also headed up the Community Cohesion division in the Housing Executive for 10 years, with major accomplishments including the development of shared housing, re-imaging and peace wall barrier removal programmes. In 2015, Jennifer was awarded an OBE for her work on the successful transformation of post conflict communities.

Mary Hayes Mary Hayes is the Director of the Dublin Regional Homeless Executive (DRHE) in Dublin City Council with over 30 years’ experience in homeless services. Mary has an extensive background and knowledge of social housing and the services provided by Dublin City Council.

The DRHE is provided by Dublin City Council as the lead statutory local authority in the response to homelessness and adopts a shared service approach with the other three local authorities within Dublin. The DRHE has management responsibility for the provision and management of accommodation for homeless persons and also oversees the execution of funding to homelessness services in the region.

Martin Healy Martin Healy is Managing Director of GEM Construction and has been a driving force behind the company’s transformation into one of Ireland’s leading construction and development firms. Over the past decade, he has helped lead significant growth in the business, supporting an increase in annual turnover from approximately €50 million to almost €200 million while expanding GEM’s presence across the residential, commercial, healthcare, education and student accommodation sectors. Martin has overseen the delivery of many of the company’s flagship developments, including Churchfields in Dublin 15, Malahide Road, The Willows in Dunshaughlin and numerous largescale housing and mixed-use projects that are contributing to the delivery of homes and communities throughout Ireland.

Housing Ireland magazine

Jennifer Hawthorne

Rory Hearne TD Rory Hearne TD is the Social Democrats housing spokesperson, having been elected to the Dáil in the Dublin NorthWest constituency in November 2024.

Prior to entering politics, Hearne was a noted housing academic, working as an associate professor in social policy at Maynooth University. Hearne has been cited as an authority on the housing crisis by the New York Times. His book on the housing crisis, Gaffs was released in 2022 and became a bestseller.

Paul Hogan Paul Hogan is Assistant Secretary – Head of the Planning Division at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (DHLGH). He has more than 30 years’ experience of working in planning and development in Ireland and the UK. Paul’s current responsibilities include reform and resourcing of the planning system, through delivery of the Planning Bill 2023 and revision of the NPF to support the delivery of housing, infrastructure and the national response to climate change. Paul’s previous role at the Department of Housing as Principal Adviser included leading the planning and land elements of Housing for All. Prior to joining the Department in 2015, Paul was a Senior Planner at South Dublin County Council for more than 10 years. He has a Master of Regional and Urban Planning degree from UCD (1992), is a Fellow of the Irish Planning Institute and recently completed a higher diploma in Organisational Change and Transformation.

Norman Jackson Norman Jackson is Director of Built Environment with The Housing Agency.

Norman graduated from Trinity College Dublin in 1994 with a B.Sc. in Construction Economics. He was a Quantity Surveyor with the National Building Agency (NBA) before moving to East Africa where he worked in Development and Emergency Relief. He returned to the NBA in 2005 and joined the Housing Agency in 2011, becoming Senior Quantity Surveyor in 2012, and Senior Procurements and Projects Advisor in 2017. Norman was appointed to his current post in 2024 and manages the Projects and Procurement sections with architects, engineers and quantity surveyors who provide technical professional advice and services to local authorities, Approved Housing Bodies and other stakeholders.

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Who’s who Housing Ireland magazine

Mark Johnston Mark Johnston is a Chartered Planning and Development surveyor with over 21 years’ experience in the property sector. Having joined Respond in 2023, Mark’s principal remit is to drive Respond’s national delivery programme, leading a highly experienced team of senior development managers, development coordinators, architects, quantity surveyors and construction professionals. Mark moved from a leading PRS investment management platform, where he oversaw new business pipeline, transaction management and asset management as Director of Acquisitions and Asset Management for nearly five years. Mark has over 21 years’ experience in the Irish real estate sector, and is a Chartered Planning and Development Surveyor registered with the SCSI and RICS.

David Kelly David Kelly has responsibility at Assistant Secretary level for the Homelessness, Rental and Social Inclusion Division at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (DHLGH).

This includes overseeing policy development and the implementation of actions to meet objectives set out in the Programme for Government and Housing for All. The Division is responsible for national policy and funding to support local authorities to address homelessness. The Division is also responsible for developing and implementing policies to ensure the effective operation of social housing more generally. It is also responsible for national policy and funding to support the delivery of Traveller-specific accommodation, in addition to broader social inclusion in the housing area, including policy to support the development of age-friendly housing and housing for people with a disability. He is also responsible for policy in relation to the private rental market to ensure the effective operation of the sector, including ensuring the appropriate regulatory and legislative frameworks are in place.

Aoife Lawler Aoife Lawler is a Senior Executive Officer responsible for social and affordable housing delivery at Fingal County Council. With a profound understanding of the housing challenges facing communities, Lawler has been instrumental in spearheading innovative initiatives to address the pressing need for accessible housing options. Within Fingal County Council, Lawler has championed collaborative approaches that bring together local government, private developers, and community stakeholders to tackle the housing crisis head-on. Through strategic partnerships she has been part of a crossdirectorate team that continues to facilitate the construction of quality, affordable homes for individuals and families across the county.

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Grainia Long Grainia Long was appointed Permanent Secretary in the Department for Communities (DfC) in April 2026. The department’s functions cover a wide range of activities and responsibilities including the promotion of healthy housing and the provision of decent, affordable, sustainable homes and housing support services. Previously, Grainia Long was the Chief Executive of the Northern Ireland Housing Executive, Commissioner for Resilience for the city of Belfast, and co-Chair of the Belfast Climate Commission. Grainia was also the Chief Executive of the national child protection charity, ISPCC Childline. This position followed several years working in housing, including as Chief Executive of the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH), and previously National Director of the CIH in Northern Ireland. She has served two terms as a member of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission, was a member of the Lyons Commission on Housing Supply and Advisor to the Best Commission on the Future of Housing in Northern Ireland.

Catherine Lonergan Catherine Lonergan is Director of Customer and Commercial at Bord Gáis Energy, where she leads customer experience, marketing, data, and commercial strategy to deliver end-toend energy solutions, efficiency initiatives, and net zero services that support Ireland’s energy transition. Since joining in 2024, Catherine has focused on driving innovative, data-driven solutions that enhance customer engagement and accelerate the shift to sustainable energy.

Her career spans senior leadership roles, including Chief Commercial Officer at SaaS provider Toovio, Managing Director of Sales at Eir, and Head of Retention at Three, alongside running her own consultancy.

Catherine holds a BA in Business Studies and a Master’s in Marketing from DCU. She also serves on the boards of Bord Gáis Energy, Ardrar Limited, and the Asthma Society of Ireland.

Rob Lowth Rob Lowth is National Director of the Housing First National Office. He is a former housing senior executive officer, housing maintenance manager and coordinator of homeless services at Limerick City and County Council, in a local government career that began in 2003. He previously worked as a project manager in the technology sector. Rob holds technical qualifications in computer systems and a BA in management.

He is has a Diploma in Addiction Recovery from Trinity College, bridging knowledge to enhance a wider Social Inclusion skillset.

Housing Ireland magazine

Who’s who Gordon Lyons MLA is the Minister for Communities in the North. The Department for Communities has responsibility for housing policy in Northern Ireland. Lyons is a DUP Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) in East Antrim, where he was first elected in 2015. Lyons became Communities Minister in February 2024, having previously served as Minister for the Economy (2021-2022), Minister for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (2021), and as a Junior Minister at the Executive Office (2021).

Donald MacDonald Donald MacDonald is a Director of Hooke & MacDonald with over 25 years of multi-disciplinary experience including property design and appraisal, management and disposals (18 years in current role); development lending (two years), auditing (four years with Grant Thornton). A Fellow of Chartered Accountants Ireland, member of IPAV and has a master’s in planning and development. Donald regularly represents the company at domestic and international real estate and capital market events. This, along with Donald’s hands on day-to-day engagements assists the company and clients in keeping fully abreast of trends and best practice. Generally regarded as one of the country’s leading professionals in the public and private housing.

John Martyn John Martyn is Interim CEO of North and East Housing Association (NEHA), having previously served as Chief Financial Officer. A graduate of Dublin City University with a degree in Accounting and Finance, he trained as a Chartered Accountant with KPMG Ireland, working with a range of leading Irish companies. He subsequently held senior finance roles with Trinity College Dublin, Campari Group Ireland, AppSense in New York, and IMG Artists, where he progressed to CFO. John also holds a Master's in Climate Change, Policy and Governance from DCU, reflecting his interest in sustainability and long-term organisational development.

Housing Ireland magazine

Gordon Lyons MLA

Gerry McDonogh A native of Galway city, Gerry McDonogh is the chairperson of the Cooperative Housing Ireland Board. He is a chartered accountant and experienced finance professional having spent his early career working with PwC and subsequently spent 28 years with Musgrave Group in senior finance leadership positions before retiring in 2021. He has extensive experience in financial risk management, corporate governance and regulatory compliance. McDonogh is a director of Elevate Credit Union, a not-for-profit regulated financial institution and lives in Cork with his family.

Mark McGinty Mark McGinty is a Senior Executive Officer responsible for Asset and Financial Management within the Housing Department at Fingal County Council. He is responsible for the strategic management of Fingal’s large stock of social housing units and the financial management of housing grants, loans and rents. McGinty has over 25 years’ experience working in the private sector and a background in leading enterprise-wide continuous improvement initiatives.

Séamus McGrath TD Séamus McGrath TD is the Fianna Fáil spokesperson for housing. He has been a Teachta Dála for the Cork SouthCentral constituency since the 2024 general election. He was a member of Cork County Council from 2007 to 2024 for the Carrigaline area.

Iain McKenzie Iain McKenzie is Director of Operations at Bord Gáis Energy, with responsibility for the safe, compliant and efficient delivery of customer operations, including field engineering services, customer contact operations, service and repair, heating and renewable installations, customer vulnerability strategy and regulatory compliance. Having joined Centrica in 2005 and Bord Gáis Energy in 2026, he brings more than 20 years’ operational leadership experience across the energy and services sectors. Iain previously held several senior leadership roles within Centrica, including leading a 2,000-strong engineering workforce. He holds a BA (Hons) in Management Studies and is completing an Executive MBA at Henley Business School.

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Housing Ireland magazine

Who’s who Fidelma McManus Fidelma McManus is a partner in Beauchamps’ Commercial Real Estate department and heads the firm’s specialised Housing team. She has particular expertise in complex conveyancing and is an acknowledged market leader in the acquisition, development, and management of social and affordable housing. Fidelma works with local authorities, state agencies, Approved Housing Bodies, developers, home builders, lending institutions, pension funds, charities and pension funds as well as institutional and private investors. With extensive experience, Fidelma offers unique insight into the legal, commercial, and social issues surrounding social and affordable housing and mixed-tenure provision, along with a deep understanding of the sector’s complex challenges. She has well-developed client relationship and project management skills and regularly collaborates with Beauchamps’ construction, banking, and procurement teams to deliver bespoke advice tailored to the housing sector. Fidelma is ranked as a leading individual by Legal 500 and is ranked in Chambers & Partners, and her housing team has been recognised for its contribution to Irish society with the Public Sector Excellence in Business Award for housing services for eight successive years. She was also recently named one of the Business Post’s Top 100 Most Influential People in Property, underscoring her significant impact and leadership in the sector.

Donal McManus Donal McManus is CEO at Irish Council for Social Housing (ICSH), the national federation of housing associations which has 270 active housing association members throughout the country. He previously worked since the 1990s in the public/local authority and housing association sectors in Scotland and Northern Ireland. He specifically worked in areas of housing development, self-build and regeneration, housing management, including homelessness and special needs as well as policy and finance. He had also worked in urban design and land assembly within the private sector. Donal was president of the non-profit housing section of Housing Europe, chair of the European Housing Forum and FEANTSA. From 2003-2005 he was appointed a member of the UN-ECE Task Force on Social Housing. He is a graduate in Housing from Ulster University, and Urban Design from Strathclyde University School of Architecture Glasgow. He received a doctorate in Governance from Queen’s University Belfast, School of Law on financialisation and impact of private finance on housing association delivery. Donal was previously a board member of the Housing Agency and member of its Audit and Risk Committee. Donal was most recently Chairperson of Housing Europe Working Group on Economics, Finance and EU Internal Market.

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Niall Morrissey Niall Morrissey is Chief Executive Officer at Housing Infrastructure Services Company. Niall has worked in senior management positions in local government for 20 years. He has worked in local authorities in Kilkenny, Tipperary, Laois and as Director of Services for Roads, Transportation and Public Safety in Kildare County Council. Niall has an extensive range of Managerial experience having also been employed as Manager of a Voluntary Housing Body and as CEO of South Tipperary Development Company which provides supports to SME’s, entrepreneurs and the unemployed. In addition to his Project Management experience within local government and the community development sector, Niall worked for seven years in the private sector as Business Development Director with the Thornsett Group, a residential and commercial property development firm. Niall has a BA (Honours) in Public Administration.

Niall Ó Ceallacháin Joining Clúid in 2022, Niall Ó Ceallacháin is Clúid’s Chief Operations Officer (COO). Niall has over 20 years’ experience across the not-for-profit and financial services sectors. Most recently, Niall held the role of Chief Financial Officer and Global Director of Business Development with the international NGO, GOAL. Niall holds a Bachelor of Business Studies from DCU, is a fellow of the ACCA and holds diplomas in Leadership and Organisational Development and Transformation from the IMI. As COO, Niall brings leadership and strategic direction to Clúid's customer-facing services, the housing and property departments – establishing a single customer experience for residents.

Eoin Ó Broin TD Eoin Ó Broin TD has been a Sinn Féin activist for 20 years. He is a Spokesperson on Housing, Local Government and Heritage and his priorities are public and private investment in job creation across Dublin Mid-West, investment in social housing, greater regulation of the private rented market and government support for those in mortgage distress and fair tax reform to help hard pressed working families while generating sufficient revenue to invest in jobs, health, education, childcare and community services. Eoin was elected to Belfast City Council from 2001 to 2004 and was the party’s Director of European Affairs from 2004 to 2007. He was also a Councillor for the Clondalkin/Newcastle/Rathcoole area having been coopted in 2013 and topping the poll in 2014.

Housing Ireland magazine

Who’s who Ruth O’Connor is a Partner in the Property department at O’Connor LLP and has established an impressive portfolio of corporate and commercial clients. Ruth provides advice to Housing Bodies in relation to the acquisition of social and affordable housing, deals with the acquisition disposal and leasing of corporate headquarters, retail, industrial and office premises, advises on all aspects of land development and deals with a large body of private clients in relation to residential property matters. She has advised Charitable Trustees on their duties and responsibilities and deals with all aspects of the management and administration of Charitable Trusts and Charitable Organisations.

Sean O’Connor Sean O’Connor is Chief Executive of Tuath Housing Association, the fastest growing AHB in Ireland with over 18,000 social and affordable rent homes across the country, managed from offices in Cork, Dublin, Dundalk and Galway. Sean has a Master’s Degree in Housing from South Bank University, London and is a Chartered Surveyor with membership of the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, along with the Chartered Institute of Housing. Sean has worked in housing at a senior level for over 35 years in the private, public and not-for-profit housing sectors delivering award winning schemes and establishing a solid track record of working with communities to deliver positive change.

Eibhlin O’Connor Eibhlin O’Connor is Chief Commercial Officer with Clúid and has over 25 years’ experience in the construction sector.

Eibhlin is a chartered member of the Royal Institute of Architects of Ireland and holds a Master’s in Construction Law and Dispute Resolution from King’s College, London. Eibhlin sits on the board of Lean Construction Ireland (LCI) and is also a member of the RIAI Council. Eibhlin has worked at a senior level with key stakeholders, Local Authorities, and developers in the delivery of social and affordable housing nationally.

Housing Ireland magazine

Ruth O’Connor

Kieran O’Donnell TD Kieran O’Donnell TD is a Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage with responsibility for housing. O'Donnell has been a Fine Gael TD in the Limerick City constituency since 2020. O'Donnell was appointed to his current junior ministerial role in January 2025, having served a previous stint at the Department between 2022 and 2024, when he held responsibility for planning.

Ronan O’Halloran Ronan O’Halloran is Director of Remediation at The Housing Agency.

He is a chartered civil engineer and prior to joining the Agency worked at the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth as Programme Manager in the Ukraine Division. He previously worked with the Office of Public Works and also served as an Army Officer with the Irish Defence Forces Corps of Engineers. As Director of Remediation, he leads on the various remediation programmes in areas such as pyrite, defective concrete blocks and apartment and duplex defects.

Fergal O’Leary Fergal O’Leary was appointed Chief Executive Officer of the Approved Housing Bodies Regulatory Authority (AHBRA) in September 2024. He has more than 20 years' experience in senior public sector leadership across regulation, governance, competition, consumer protection and energy. Before joining AHBRA, Fergal held senior leadership roles in the National Consumer Agency and the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, including serving as a Commissioner of the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission. He holds Master's degrees in Economics and Applied Governance.

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Housing Ireland magazine

Who’s who Dermot Phelan Dermot Phelan is Connections and Developer Services Manager at Uisce Éireann. He is a senior engineering and project management professional with 28 years’ experience across public and private sectors in Ireland and the UK. He is a Fellow of Engineers Ireland and PMP-certified project manager. His expertise spans water and wastewater infrastructure, pre-planning to infrastructure delivery, stakeholder engagement, governance, procurement, and performance improvement.

Averil Power Averil Power joined Clúid as Chief Executive Officer in November 2025.

Averil is an accomplished leader and advocate for an inclusive and equitable Irish society. Prior to joining Clúid, Averil was CEO of the Irish Cancer Society and the Asthma Society of Ireland, as well as an elected member of Seanad Éireann and a political adviser in three government departments. Averil has over 20 years’ experience in leadership, strategic transformation, delivering changes in public policy and strategic communications. She holds degrees in business and law from Trinity College Dublin and the King’s Inns.

Joanne Quaid Joanne Quaid is Head of Large Projects at Electric Ireland Superhomes. Joanne has over 15 years of experience in the construction, energy efficiency, and retrofit sectors. She holds a BSc (Hons) in Architectural Technology and later completed an MSc in Sustainable Energy Engineering, building a strong foundation in sustainable building design and energy performance. With six years of dedicated experience in the retrofit industry, Joanne has played a key role in delivering large-scale residential energy upgrade programmes. In Joanne's current role, Joanne is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the design and delivery of retrofit solutions for Local Authorities and Approved Housing Bodies. Over the past four years, Joanne has overseen the successful delivery of more than 1,000 retrofit projects, helping to improve the energy efficiency, sustainability, and comfort of homes across Ireland.

Conor Sheehan TD Conor Sheehan TD is the housing spokesperson of the Labour Party. First elected to the Dáil in 2024, Sheehan is a TD for the Limerick City constituency. He holds a degree in journalism from Dublin City University.

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David Silke David Silke is Director of Insights and Operations at The Housing Agency. His Directorate includes research, policy and practice, communications, training and development, HR, ICT and facilities.

His previous roles include as Director of the Centre for Housing Research, Policy Analyst in the National Economic and Social Forum, Researcher in the Combat Poverty Agency, and Senior Researcher in the Department of Social Security (UK). His qualifications include a Degree in Social Science (UCD), a Masters in Social Policy and Planning (LSE); and Professional Diplomas in Governance (IPA), Business and Finance (IMI) and Strategy and Innovation (IMI). David is a Chartered Member of the Chartered Institute of Housing.

Lorcan Sirr Lorcan Sirr is a Senior Lecturer in Housing at the Technological University Dublin, and has been Visiting Professor of Housing in the Schools of Law at the Universities of Galway and Tarragona in Spain. He has authored, co-authored and edited numerous papers, research reports, and books. His most recent book is Housing A Nation: Six Generations of Land, Politics and Power, published by Hachette in 2026.

He is a regular contributor to The Irish Times on housing and planning topics. Lorcan has an MA from the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven in Belgium, and an MA and PhD in planning and development from the University of Manchester. He is a board member of Threshold, and is a former chartered planning and development surveyor.

Martina Smith Martina Smith has served as Chief Executive Officer of Housing Association for Integrated Living (HAIL) since July 2017, bringing over three decades of experience in the housing sector. A University of Ulster graduate with a degree in Housing, Martina spent 14 years working across several London local authorities before returning to Dublin.

Under her leadership, HAIL has strengthened its commitment to providing high-quality independent social housing with specialist mental health tenancy sustainment supports. Martina leads HAIL’s strategic and operational direction, with a focus on ensuring the organisation continues to empower tenants to live independently, with dignity, and as active members of their communities.

Housing Ireland magazine

Who’s who Rosemary Steen was appointed as Director of the Residential Tenancies Board on 2 September 2024. She joined the RTB following four years as CEO of the Design and Crafts Council Ireland (DCCI) an agency of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment. Before joining DCCI she was an Executive Director with EirGrid for six years responsible for regulation, customers, direct connections to the national grid and public affairs.

She has extensive business experience; working with global companies such as Vodafone and Shell and she worked for the employers group Ibec, serving on the National Economic and Social Council.

Caroline Timmons Caroline Timmons is an Assistant Secretary at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage with responsibility for the Housing Policy and Standards Division. She is responsible for leading the development and implementation of the new housing plan, Delivering Homes, Building Communities, as well as various aspects of housing policy generally, including oversight of the housing market, investment engagement, EU housing engagement, climate change and construction policy, modern methods of construction, policy and regulation of Approved Housing Bodies, building standards and the remediation of legacy building issues.

Katelin Toomey Katelin Toomey is a Senior Associate in the property department at O’Connor LLP. Katelin has considerable experience in commercial and residential property transactions having previously worked for over 10 years in the Real Estate department of a large global law firm. She advises on all aspects of commercial and residential property transactions, including the acquisition, financing, and disposal of real estate assets, as well as the negotiation of commercial leases from both a landlord and tenant perspective. She has particular expertise advising Approved Housing Bodies on the acquisition and financing of residential developments and has acted for all of Ireland’s pillar banks, as well as a range of smaller and alternative lenders.

Housing Ireland magazine

Rosemary Steen

William Walsh William Walsh is Chief Executive Officer at the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, having previously held the position of both Chief Operations Officer and Chief Financial Officer.

William joined SEAI in 2013. Prior to joining SEAI he worked for IFI where he held a number of roles including Assistant Chief Executive Officer and Director. Before this he held senior management positions in the private sector. William is a Chartered Accountant, holds a Bachelor of Business Studies from Dublin City University and a Graduate Diploma in Strategy, Innovation and Change from UCD.

Aoife Watters Aoife Watters joined Respond as Chief Executive Officer in April 2025. She brings extensive leadership experience across the charity and private sectors, with a strong track record in governance, strategic planning, financial management and organisational transformation. Aoife began her career in senior audit roles in London and Dublin before moving into executive and non-executive leadership positions in the not-for-profit sector, with a particular focus on housing and homelessness. She previously served as Director of Finance and Corporate Services for DePaul Ireland, a large cross-border housing and homelessness charity.

Martin Whelan Martin Whelan is CEO of The Housing Agency. Previously he served as a senior official at the National Treasury Management Agency (NTMA), where he worked across the NTMA’s core international funding and investment, corporate financial advisory, project execution, and claims and risk management mandates and affiliate businesses including Home Building Finance Ireland and Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland. Prior to joining the NTMA, Martin was a member of the senior leadership team at the National Asset Management Agency (NAMA) during its critical start-up and growth phase. Martin has also held senior positions in management and business consultancy. He is a Chartered Director (Institute of Directors).

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Housing Ireland magazine directory The following is an A-Z list of organisations and individuals involved in the Irish housing sector including government contacts, housing associations and advisors.

Government departments Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage Custom House, Dublin, D01 W6X0 T: 01 888 2000 W: www.gov.ie/housing Newtown Road, Wexford, Y35 AP90 T: 01 888 2000 Government Offices, Ballina Co Mayo, F26 E8N6 T: 01 888 2000 Minister: James Browne TD T: 01 888 2403 E: minister@housing.gov.ie Minister of State, Local Government and Planning: John Cummins TD T: 01 888 2597 E: ministerofstate@housing.gov.ie Minister of Nature, Heritage and Biodiversity: Christopher O’Sullivan TD T: 01 888 2425 E: MOS@housing.gov.ie Minister of Older People and Housing: Kieran O’Donnell TD T: 01 888 2373 E: MoSOffice@housing.gov.ie Secretary General: Graham Doyle Deputy Secretary: Garret Doocey Assistant Secretary, Local Government: Fiona Quinn Assistant Secretary, Housing Policy and Standards: Caroline Timmons Assistant Secretary, Heritage Division: Niall Ó Donnchú Assistant Secretary, Corporate and Business Support: Marguerite Ryan Assistant Secretary, Water: Fintan Towey

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Acting Assistant Secretary, Planning: Paul Hogan Assistant Secretary, Homelessness, Rental and Social Inclusion: David Kelly Acting Assistant Secretary, Social Housing Delivery: Paul Benson

Oireachtas committee Joint Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage Leinster House Kildare Street Dublin, D02 XR20 T: 01 618 3325 E: jchlgh@oireachtas.ie Clerk to the Committee: Daniel Hurley

Committee membership Teachtaí Dála Micheál Carrigy, Fine Gael Séamus McGrath, Fianna Fáil Richard Boyd Barrett, People Before ProfitSolidarity Paula Butterly, Fine Gael Joe Cooney, Fine Gael Thomas Gould, Sinn Féin Rory Hearne, Social Democrats Paul McAuliffe, Fianna Fáil Eoin Ó Broin, Sinn Féin Seanadóirí Pat Casey, Fianna Fáil Joe Flaherty, Fianna Fáil Aubrey McCarthy, Independent Maria McCormack, Sinn Féin PJ Murphy, Fine Gael

Government agencies and bodies involved in housing An Coimisiún Pleanála 64 Marlborough Street, Dublin 1 D01 V902 T: 01 858 8100 W: www.pleanala.ie E: bord@pleanala.ie CEO: Peter Mullan Director of Planning: Ciara Kellett/Erika Casey

Approved Housing Bodies Regulatory Authority 4th Floor, Grattan House 67-72 Mount Street Lower Dublin 2 D02 H638 T: 01 224 3900 W: www.ahbregulator.ie E: info@ahbregulator.ie Chair: Eddie Lewis Chief Executive Officer: Fergal O’Leary

Coillte Dublin Road Newtownmountkennedy Co Wicklow A63 DN25 W: www.coillte.ie E: info@coillte.ie CEO: Imelda Hurley

Housing Infrastructure Services Company (HISCo) Glandore, City Quarter Lapps Quay Cork, T12 Y3ET T: +353 21 424 4124 W: www.hisco.ie E: info@hisco.ie Chief Executive: Niall Morrissey

Home Building Finance Ireland

Uisce Éireann

Cavan County Council

Treasury Dock North Wall Quay Dublin 1, D01 A9T8 T: 01 238 4600 W: www.hbfi.ie E: info@hbfi.ie CEO: Dara Deering

Colvill House 24–26 Talbot Street Dublin 1 T: 0818 778 778 W: www.water.ie Managing Director: Niall Gleeson

Housing Agency

PO Box 13841 Freepost FKY7736 Killorglin, Co Kerry T: 0818 303 037 W: www.rtb.ie Chair: Mark McManus Director: Rosemary Steen

Cavan Courthouse, Farnham Street Abbeyland, Cavan H12 R6V2 T: 049 437 8300 W: www.cavancoco.ie E: housing@cavancoco.ie Chief Executive: Eoin Doyle Director of Services, Housing, Libraries and Cultural Services, Human Resources and Corporate Services: Lynda McGavigan

Housing Finance Agency 46 St Stephen’s Green Dublin 2 D02 WK60 T: 01 872 5722 W: www.hfa.ie E: cosec@hfa.ie Chief Executive Officer: Deirdre Collier

Land Development Agency George’s Court 54-62 Townsend Street, Dublin 2 D02 R156 T: 01 910 3400 W: www.lda.ie E: info@lda.ie Chief Executive: John Coleman

National Construction Training Campus Mount Lucas Daingean, Co Offaly R35 XW10 T: 057 936 2508 W: mountlucas.ie E: info@mountlucas.ie

Office of the Planning Regulator Park House, Grangegorman 191-193A North Circular Road Dublin 7, D07 EWV4 T: 01 854 6700 W: www.opr.ie E: info@opr.ie Chief Executive and Planning Regulator: Niall Cussen

Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland 3 Park Place Hatch Street Upper Dublin 2 Co Dublin, D02 FX65 T: 01 808 2100 W: www.seai.ie E: info@seai.ie Chief Executive: William Walsh

SOLAS The Further Education and Training Authority Block 1 Castleforbes House Castleforbes Road Dublin 1 D01 A8N0 T: + 353 (01) 533 2500 W: www.solas.ie E: info@solas.ie CEO: Deirdre McDonnell

Tailte Éireann W: www.tailte.ie E: customer.services@tailte.ie CEO: Liam O’Sullivan Land Registry Public Office – Tailte Éireann Smithfield Hall Smithfield, Dublin 7, D07 AEF4 Registry of Deeds Henrietta Street Dublin 1, D01 EK82 Valuation Division — Tailte Éireann Henrietta Street Dublin 1, D01 EK82

Clare County Council Áras Contae an Chláir New Road, Ennis Co Clare, V95 DXP2 T: 065 684 6334 or 065 684 6403 W: www.clarecoco.ie E: housing@clarecoco.ie Chief Executive: Gordon Daly Deputy Chief Executive, Housing Delivery, Infrastructure Provision and Land Activation: Alan Farrell

Housing Ireland magazine

53 Mount Street Upper Dublin 2, D02 KT73 T: 01 656 4100 W: www.housingagency.ie E: info@housingagency.ie Chair: Carol Tancock CEO: Martin Whelan Director of Knowledge and Insights: David Silke Chief Financial Officer: Sinéad Dunne Director of Delivery and Innovation: Jim Baneham Director of Services and Inclusion: Pat Fitzpatrick Director of Built Environment: Norman Jackson Director of Remediation and Standards: Ronan O’Halloran

Residential Tenancies Board

Cork City Council Housing and Community Directorate City Hall, Anglesea Street Cork, T12 T997 T: 021 492 4000 W: www.corkcity.ie E: housing@corkcity.ie Chief Executive: Valerie O’Sullivan Director of Housing: Alison O’Rourke

Cork County Council County Hall Carrigrohane Road Cork, T12 R2NC T: 021 427 6891 W: www.corkcoco.ie E: housing@corkcoco.ie Chief Executive: Moira Murrell Director of Housing, Asset Management and Land Developer: Keith Jones

Donegal County Council County House Lifford, Co Donegal, F93 Y622 T: 074 915 3900 W: www.donegalcoco.ie E: info@donegalcoco.ie Chief Executive: John G. McLaughlin Director of Housing, MD Services and Capital Projects: Anne Marie Conlon

Local government housing contacts Carlow County Council County Buildings, Athy Road Carlow, R93 E7R7 T: 059 917 0300 W: www.carlow.ie Chief Executive: Coilín O’Reilly Director of Services, Housing: Claire Hartley

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Dublin City Council

Kerry County Council

Longford County Council

Housing and Community Department Block 1, Floor 1 Civic Offices Wood Quay Dublin 8, D08 RF3F T: 01 222 2222 W: www.dublincity.ie E: customerservices@dublincity.ie Chief Executive: Richard Shakespeare Assistant Chief Executive, Housing: Mick Mulhern Director of Dublin Regional Homeless Executive: Mary Hayes Executive Manager Housing Delivery: Martin Donlon City Architect: Andrew Devonport

County Buildings Rathass, Tralee, Kerry V92 H7VT T: 066 7183 862 W: www.kerrycoco.ie E: housing@kerrycoco.ie Chief Executive: Fearghal Reidy Director of Housing: Niamh O’Sullivan

Áras an Chontae Great Water Street Longford, N39 NH56 T: 043 334 3499 W: www.longfordcoco.ie E: housing@longfordcoco.ie Chief Executive: Paddy Mahon Director of Services: Samantha Healy

Kildare County Council

Louth County Council

Áras Chill Dara Devoy Park, Naas Co Kildare, W91 X77F T: 045 980 200 W: www.kildarecoco.ie E: housingadmin@kildarecoco.ie Chief Executive: Sonya Kavanagh Deputy CE/Housing and Regeneration and People: Annette Aspell

County Hall Millennium Centre Dundalk, A91 KFW6 T: 042 933 5457 W: louthcoco.ie E: housing@louthcoco.ie Chief Executive: David Conway Director of Services: Ger Murphy

Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council County Hall, Marine Road Dún Laoghaire Co Dublin, A96 K6C9 T: 01 205 4700 W: www.dlrcoco.ie E: housing@dlrcoco.ie Chief Executive: Frank Curran Director of Housing and Water Services: Gerard O’Sullivan

Fingal County Council County Hall, Main Street Swords, K67 X8Y2 T: 01 890 5994 W: www.fingal.ie E: housing@fingal.ie Chief Executive: AnnMarie Farrelly Director Housing: Paul Carroll Senior Executive Officer, Housing Support: Liam Burke Senior Architect: Carmel Brennan

Galway City Council City Hall, College Road Galway H91 X4K8 T: 091 536 400 W: www.galwaycity.ie E: customerservice@galwaycity.ie Chief Executive: Leonard Cleary Director of Services Urban Development: Patricia Philbin

Galway County Council Áras an Chontae Prospect Hill, Galway H91 H6KX T: 091 509 300 W: www.galway.ie E: housing@galwaycoco.ie Chief Executive: Liam Conneally Director of Services, Housing: Damien Mitchell

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Kilkenny County Council Housing Office John’s Green House John’s Green Kilkenny, R95 CX92 T: 056 779 4900 W: www.kilkennycoco.ie E: housing@kilkennycoco.ie Chief Executive: Lar Power Director of Services, Housing: Ian Gardner

Laois County Council Áras an Chontae JFL Avenue, Portlaoise Co Laois, R32 EHP9 T: 057 866 4000 W: www.laois.ie E: housingallocations@laoiscoco.ie Chief Executive: Michael Rainey Director of Housing, Corporate Affairs and Information Technology: Donal Brennan

Leitrim County Council Áras an Chontae St George’s Terrace Carrick on Shannon Co Leitrim, N41 PF67 T: 071 9650 426 W: www.leitrimcoco.ie E: housing@leitrimcoco.ie Chief Executive: Joseph Gilhooly Director of Services – Housing, Planning, Corporate Services and Transformation: Mary Quinn

Limerick City and County Council Merchant’s Quay, Limerick V94 EH90 T: 061 556 000 W: www.limerick.ie E: customerservices@limerick.ie Chief Executive: Pat Daly Director of Housing: Vincent Murray

Mayo County Council College House Station Road, Swinford Co Mayo, F12 V126 T: 094 906 4510 W: www.mayo.ie E: swinfordao@mayococo.ie Chief Executive: Kevin Kelly Director of Services: Catherine McConnell

Meath County Council Buvinda House Dublin Road, Navan Co Meath, C15 Y291 T: 046 909 7000 W: www.meath.ie E: customerservice@meathcoco.ie Chief Executive: Kieran Kehoe Director of Housing Delivery and Support: Fiona Fallon

Monaghan County Council Housing Department County Offices, The Glen Monaghan, H18 YT50 T: 047 30500 W: monaghan.ie E: housing@monaghancoco.ie Chief Executive: Robert Burns Director of Services: Olga McConnon

Offaly County Council Housing Section Áras an Chontae Charleville Road Tullamore, Co Offaly R35 F893 T: 057 934 6800 W: www.offaly.ie E: housing@offalycoco.ie Chief Executive: Eoghan Ryan A/Director of Housing and Integration: Barry Lennon

Roscommon County Council

Wexford County Council

Clár I.C.H.

Áras an Chontae Roscommon Co Roscommon, F42 VR98 T: 090 663 7100 W: www.roscommoncoco.ie E: housing@roscommoncoco.ie Chief Executive: Shane Tiernan Director of Services: Chris Flynn

County Hall, Carricklawn Wexford, Y35 WY93 T: 053 919 6000 W: www.wexfordcoco.ie E: customerservice@wexfordcoco.ie Chief Executive: Eddie Taaffe Director of Services: Carolyne Godkin

Ballyhaunis Road Clare, Claremorris Co Mayo T: 094 937 1830 W: www.clarird.com E: clarird1@gmail.com Services: General needs

Sligo County Council

South Dublin County Council County Hall, Tallaght Dublin 24, D24 A3XC T: 01 414 9000 W: www.sdcc.ie E: info@sdublincoco.ie Chief Executive: Colm Ward Director of Housing, Social and Community Development: Elaine Leech

Tipperary County Council Civic Offices, Clonmel Nenagh, Co Tipperary T: 0818 06 5000 W: www.tipperarycoco.ie E: customerservices@tipperarycoco.ie Chief Executive: Sinead Carr Director of Services, Housing: Jonathan Cooney

Waterford City and County Council Housing Department Bailey's New Street Waterford, X91 XH42 T: 0818 10 2020 E: contact@waterfordcouncil.ie Chief Executive: Seán McKeown Director of Services, Housing, Community and Emergency Services: Séamus de Faoite

Westmeath County Council Áras an Chontae Mount Street Mullingar, N91 FH4N T: 044 933 2119 W: www.westmeathcoco.ie E: secretar@westmeathcoco.ie Chief Executive: Barry Kehoe Director of Service, Housing: Ambrose Clarke

County Buildings, Whitegates Wicklow Town, A67 FW96 T: 0404 20100 W: www.wicklow.ie/Living E: housingapplications@wicklowcoco.ie Chief Executive: Emer O’Gorman Director of Services: Michael Nicholson

Housing services ALONE

Co-operative Housing Ireland 11-12 Warrington Place Dublin, D02 E221 T: 01 661 2877 W: www.cooperativehousing.ie E: admin@cooperativehousing.ie CEO: Kieron Brennan Services: General needs

Cork Mental Health Foundation and Housing Association

Olympic House Pleasants Street, Dublin 8 T: 01 679 1032 W: www.alone.ie E: hello@alone.ie CEO: Seán Moynihan Services: Older People

Unit 4, Nore House Bessboro Road Blackrock, Cork T: 021 451 1100 E: admin@corkmentalhealth.com CEO: Brendan McCarthy Services: Mental health

Carbery Housing Association Ltd

Crosscare

The Wooden House Rossnagoose Skibbereen Co Cork T: 028 21890 W: www.carberyhousing.eu E: office@carberyhousing.eu Director/Chair: José Ospina Services: General needs

2 Saint Mary’s Place North Dublin 7, D07 Y768 T: 01 836 0011 W: www.crosscare.ie E: info@crosscare.ie Chief Executive Officer: Conor Hickey Services: General needs

Cheshire Ireland

6 Emor Street, Portobello Dublin 8, D08 K3VF T: 01 453 6763 W: www.daisyhouse.org E: info@daisyhouse.org Chairperson: Patricia Heavey Services: Women, Homelessness

Unit 23, IFC House Fashion City, Dublin 24 D24 PD6H T: 01 429 5767 W: www.cheshire.ie E: info@cheshire.ie Chief Executive: Theresa Anderson Services: People with disabilities

Daisyhouse Housing Association

Depaul Ireland

159-161 Sheriff Street Upper Dublin, D01 R8N0 T: 01 707 2088 W: www.cluid.ie E: cluid@cluid.ie CEO: Averil Power Services: General needs

Ground Floor, 5 Lamps Amiens Street Dublin, D01 A7V2 T: 01 453 7111 W: www.ie.depaulcharity.org E: depaul@depaulcharity.net Chief Executive Officer: David Carroll Services: Homelessness

Circle VHA

Focus Ireland

Phoenix House 32-34 Castle Street Dublin 2 T: 01 407 2110 W: www.circlevha.ie E: info@circlevha.ie Chief Executive: John Hannigan Services: General needs

9-12 High Street Christchurch, Dublin 8 T: 01 881 5900 W: www.focusireland.ie E: help@focusireland.ie Chief Executive: Pat Dennigan Services: General needs, Homelessness

Clúid Housing Association

Housing Ireland magazine

Housing Section County Hall Riverside Sligo, F91 Y763 T: 071 9111 111 W: sligococo.ie E: info@sligococo.ie Chief Executive: Martin Lydon Director of Housing and Corporate: Marie Whelan

Wicklow County Council

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Fold Housing Association Ireland Ltd

Horizons – Cope Foundation

Novas

The Crescent Build Northwood Park Santry, Dublin 9 D09 X8W3 T: 01 822 8804 W: www.foldhousing.ie E: enquiries@foldireland.ie Chief Executive: Kath Cottier Services: General needs

1st Floor, 1D-1F The Atrium Blackpool Retail Park Blackpool, Cork, T23 T2VY T: 021 464 3100 W: www.horizonscork.ie E: headoffice@horizonscork.ie Chief Executive: Lorraine Egan Services: People with disabilities

87 O’Connell Street Limerick, V94 XN51 T: 061 370 325 W: www.novas.ie E: info@novas.ie CEO: Úna Deasy Services: Homelessness

Hearth and Mind

The Iveagh Trust

38 Glenageary Park Glenageary Co Dublin, A96 TN9F T: 01 286 9237 W: www.ocualann.ie E: info@ocualann.ie Chief Executive: Hugh Brennan Services: General needs

Housing Ireland magazine

Riversdale House Ballyboden Road, Rathfarnham Dublin, D14 W7DO T: 01 424 1115 W: www.hearthandmind.ie E: info@hearthandmind.ie Services: Mental health

Home Again 1 Tempe Terrace Coliemore Road, Dalkey Co Dublin T: 01 235 1486 / 01 285 4494 W: www.homeagain.ie E: info@homeagain.ie Chair: Stephen O’Leary Services: Youth

Housing Association for Integrated Living (HAIL) Second Floor, Central Hotel Chambers 7-9 Dame Court, Dublin D02 X452 T: 01 671 8444 W: www.hail.ie E: info@hail.ie Chief Executive Officer: Martina Smith Services: General needs

Housing Alliance W: www.housingalliance.ie E: info@housingalliance.ie Chair: John Hannigan Interim Policy Lead: Brian O’Gorman

Housing Infrastructure Services Company (HISCo) Glandore, City Quarter Lapps Quay Cork, T12 Y3ET T: +353 21 424 4124 W: www.hisco.ie E: info@hisco.ie Chief Executive: Niall Morrissey

Good Shepherd Cork Bruac, Redemption Road Cork T: 021 439 1188 W: www.goodshepherdcork.ie E: info@goodshepherdcork.ie Chair: Brendan Lenihan Services: Homelessness

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Head Office Bull Alley Street Dublin, D08 R7DX T: 01 454 2312 W: www.theiveaghtrust.ie Chief Executive: Aidan Culhane Services: General needs

Kerry Mental Health Association W: www.kerrymentalhealth.ie E: info@kerrymentalhealth.ie General Manager: John Drummey Services: Mental health

Mental Health Ireland Second Floor, Marina House 11-13 Clarence Street Dún Laoghaire Co Dublin, A96 E289 T: 01 284 1166 W: www.mentalhealthireland.ie E: info@mentalhealthireland.ie CEO: Lisa Cuthbert Services: Mental health

Merchants Quay Ireland Head Office, Merchants Court 24 Merchants Quay, Dublin 8 D08 X7YK T: 01 524 0160 W: www.mqi.ie E: info@mqi.ie CEO: Eddie Mullins Services: Homelessness

Merrick House DAC Merrick House Eaton Road, Terenure Dublin, D6W HP96 T: 01 490 9816 W: www.merrickhouse.ie E: info@merrickhouse.ie Chairperson: Gemma Barrett Services: Elderly

Ó Cualann Cohousing Alliance CLG

Oakfield Trust Ltd Unit 3 Oakfield, Ninth Lock Road Clondalkin Dublin 22, D22 H5H0 T: 01 457 0069 W: www.oakfieldtrust.ie E: info@oakfieldtrust.ie Manager: Gareth Ebbs Services: General needs

Oaklee Brunel Building, Heuston South Quarter Saint John’s Road West Dublin 8, D08 X01F T: 01 400 2650 W: www.oaklee.ie E: enquiries@oakleehousing.ie CEO: Sharon Cosgrove Services: General needs

PACE Block 3, Grove Court Grove Road, Blanchardstown Dublin 15 T: 01 823 1000 W: www.paceorganisation.ie E: headoffice@paceorganisation.ie Chair: Gavin Reid CEO: Maggie Clune Services: Homelessness

Prosper Fingal Housing Association Strand Street, Skerries Co Dublin, K34 TD61 T: 01 849 3600 W: www.prosperfingal.ie E: info@prosperfingal.ie Chair: Paula Carey Services: People with disabilities

North and East Housing Association

Respond Housing Association

First Floor, Cobalt House One Blanchardstown Corporate Park 1 Dublin, D15 EDT4 T: 01 820 0002 W: www.northandeast.ie E: info@neha.ie Interim CEO: John Martyn Services: General needs

Head Office Airmount, Dominick Place Waterford, X91 A397 T: 051 840 200 or 01 808 7700 W: www.respond.ie E: info@respond.ie CEO: Aoife Watters Services: General needs

The Salvation Army

Threshold

Irish Planning Institute

UK and Republic of Ireland Headquarters 1 Champion Park London, SE5 8FJ T: +44 (0)20 7367 4500 W: www.salvationarmy.org.uk/republic-ofireland E: info@salvationarmy.org.uk Services: Homelessness

1st Floor 25-28 Strand Street Great Dublin 1, D01 XP04 T: 1800 454 454 W: www.threshold.ie E: advice@threshold.ie Chief Executive: John-Mark McCafferty Services: Homelessness

17 Kildare Street Dublin 2, D02 P766 T: 01 878 8630 W: www.ipi.ie E: info@ipi.ie President: Gavin Lawlor

Saoirse Domestic Violence Services

Tuath Housing

PO Box 10819 Tallaght, Dublin 24 T: 01 463 0400 W: www.sdvs.ie E: admin@sdvs.ie CEO: Allison Graham Services: Domestic violence

33 Leeson Street Lower Dublin 2, D02 KD68 T: 1800 852 751 W: www.tuathhousing.ie E: info@tuathhousing.ie Chief Executive: Sean O’Connor Services: General needs

Simon Communities of Ireland

WALK

Royal Town Planning Institute Ireland

Head Office 1 Longmile Road Walkinstown, Dublin 12, D12 FT73 T: 01 465 0388 W: www.walk.ie E: info@walk.ie CEO: Joe Mason Services: People with disabilities

Planning consultants

NW Cornerstone CLG Retreat House The Lungy, Sligo, F91 RV0D T: 071 914 5682 W: nwcornerstone.ie E: info@nwcornerstone.ie CEO: Christina McTaggart Services: Homelessness, elderly, general needs

Sonas T: 01 671 8092 W: www.domesticabuse.ie E: info@sonasdomesticabuse.ie CEO: Fiona O’Malley Services: Domestic violence, homelessness

Sophia Housing Association 25 Cork Street Dublin 8, D08 YD91 T: 01 473 8300 W: www.sophia.ie E: info@sophia.ie Chair: Michael McCarthy Services: Homelessness

YMCA Dublin 53 Aungier Street Dublin, D02 CH96 T: 01 478 2607 W: www.ymca.ie E: info.dublin@ymca-ireland.net CEO: Kathryn O’Mahony Services: Homelessness

84/86 Lower Baggot Street Dublin 2 D02 H720 T: 01 605 1500 W: www.ibec.ie E: info@ibec.ie Director: David Howard

Housing Ireland magazine

Coleraine House Coleraine Street Dublin 7, D07 E8XF T: 01 671 1606 W: www.simon.ie E: info@simoncommunity.com Executive Director: Ber Grogan Services: Homelessness

Property Industry Ireland (Ibec)

29 Merrion Square North Dublin, D02 RW64 T: 089 251 5649 W: www.rtpi.org.uk E: contact@rtpiireland.org Chair: Brian Kelly

AOS Planning CAAS Ltd 1st Floor, 24–26 Ormond Quay Upper Dublin 7, D07 DAV9 T: 01 872 1530 W: www.caas.ie E: info@caas.ie Contact: Paul Fingleton

BMA Planning

Industry bodies Chartered Institute of Housing Northern Ireland Office Carnmoney House Edgewater Office Park Belfast, BT3 9JQ T: 028 9077 8222 W: www.cih.org E: ni@cih.org

Construction Industry Federation 4th Floor, Bankside Charlemont Place Dublin 2 D02 VN88 T: 01 406 6000 W: www.cif.ie E: info@cif.ie CEO: Andrew Brownlee

Irish Council for Social Housing 50 Merrion Square East Dublin, D02 HP84 T: 01 661 8334 W: www.icsh.ie E: info@icsh.ie CEO: Donal McManus Director of Policy: Ailbhe McLoughlin

Taney Hall, Eglinton Terrace Dundrum, Dublin 14 T: 01 676 4522 W: www.bmaplanning.ie E: info@bmaplanning.ie Principal: Ray Ryan

Coakley O’Neill Town Planning NSC Campus Mahon, Cork T: 021 230 7000 W: www.coakleyoneill.ie E: info@coakleyoneill.ie Director: Aiden O'Neill

Downey Planning 29 Merrion Square Dublin 2 D02 RW64 T: 01 253 0220 W: www.dwny.ie E: info@dwny.ie Founder and Principal Planner: John Downey

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Armstrong Fenton Associates 13 The Seapoint Building 44-45 Clontarf Road Dublin 3 D03 A0H3 T: 01 479 3140 W: www.armstrongfenton.com Managing Director: Tracy Armstrong

Hogan Associates

Housing Ireland magazine

The Lodge Proby's Quay, Cork T12 X430 T: 021 431 1206 W: www.hoganarchitecture.com E: mail@hoganarchitecture.com Managing Director: Patrick O’Hanlon

HRA Planning 3 Hartstonge Street Limerick City T: 061 435000 W: www.hraplanning.ie E: info@hraplanning.ie Director: Mary Hughes

John Spain Associates

AIB Head Office 10 Molesworth Street Dublin 2 D02 W260 T: 01 660 0311 W: www.aib.ie E: donall.a.o'shea@aib.ie Contact: Donall O’Shea

Bank of Ireland

Fieldfisher 45 Mespil Road Dublin 4 D04 W2F1 T: 01 828 0600 W: www.fieldfisher.com E: breen.purcell@fieldfisher.com Partner: Breen Purcell

EY Ireland EY Building, Harcourt Centre Harcourt Street, Dublin 2 T: 01 475 0555 Managing Partner: Frank O'Keeffe

McGill Planning Ltd Iconic Offices Number 9 9 Pembroke Street Upper Dublin 2, D02 KR83 T: 01 284 6464 W: www.mcgplanning.ie E: info@mcgplanning.ie Managing Director: Trevor Sadler

Beauchamps

One Molesworth Street Dublin 2 D02 RF29 T: 01 618 2600 W: www.barclays.ie

38 Dawson Street Dublin 2 T: 01 679 9094 W: www.manahanplanners.com E: tony@manahanplanners.com Founder and Principal: Tony Manahan

4th Floor, Kreston House Arran Court Arran Quay Dublin 7, D07 K271 T: 01 804 4477 W: www.mhplanning.ie E: info@mhplanning.ie Founding Director: Brian McCutcheon

Ten Earlsfort Terrace Dublin 2 D02 T380 T: 01 920 1000 W: www.arthurcox.com E: dublin@arthurcox.com Managing Partner: Geoff Moore

Barclays

Manahan Planners

McCutcheon Halley

Arthur Cox

Riverside Two Sir John Rogerson's Quay Dublin, D02 KV60 T: 01 418 0600 W: www.beauchamps.ie E: info@beauchamps.ie Partner: Fidelma McManus

Deloitte

23 Grange Park Foxrock, Dublin 18 T: 086 383 7100 W: www.marstonplanning.ie E: anthony@marstonplanning.ie Principal: Anthony Marston

Legal

Group Head Office Baggot Plaza 27-33 Upper Baggot Street Dublin, D04 VX58 T: 01 661 5933 W: www.bankofireland.com

39 Fitzwilliam Place Dublin 2, D02 ND61 T: 01 662 5803 W: www.jsaplanning.ie E: info@johnspainassociates.com Managing Director: John Spain

Marston Planning Consultancy

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Finance

No. 6 Lapp's Quay Cork, T12 TA48 T: +353 (21) 490 7000 W: www.deloitte.com E: info@deloitte.ie

HSBC Bank 1 Grand Canal Square Grand Canal Harbour Grand Canal Dock Dublin 2 D02 P820 T: 01 635 6000 W: www.hsbc.ie E: dublinreception@hsbc.com

KPMG 1 Stokes Place St Stephen’s Green Dublin 2 D02 DE03 T: 01 410 1000 W: www.kpmg.com Contact: Russell Smyth

Matheson 70 Sir John Rogerson's Quay Dublin 2 T: 01 232 2000 W: www.matheson.com E: dublin@matheson.com Partner: Nicola Dunleavy

O’Connor Solicitors 8 Clare Street, Dublin 2 D02 E021 T: 01 676 4488 W: www.oclegal.ie E: mail@oclegal.ie Partner: Ruth O’Connor

Philip Lee Connaught House One Burlington Road Dublin 4, D04 C5Y6 T: 01 237 3700 W: www.philiplee.ie E: info@philiplee.ie Partner: Angelyn Rowan

Construction and engineering companies BAM Ireland Hartwell Lower Head Office Kill, Co Kildare W91 KH3E T: 045 886400 W: www.bamireland.ie E: IE_info@bam.com Contact: John Wilkinson

CLG Group

KSNPM

CBRE Ireland

Lorien, 2 The Mayne Clonee, Co Meath D15 Y209 T: 01 461 4100 W: www.clg-group.ie E: info@clg-group.ie

Beech House Beech Hill Office Campus Dublin 4, D04 V5N2 T: +353 (0)1 277 6999 W: ksnpm.com E: info@ksnpm.com Project Director: Daniel Eagling

Connaught House, 3rd Floor One Burlington Road Dublin 4, DO4 C5Y6 T: 01 618 5500 W: www.cbre.ie E: cbredublin@cbre.com Managing Director: Myles Clarke

Coen Steel

Sisk

Coffey Group

Energy

Moanbaun Athenry Co Galway H65 Y078 T: 091 844 356 W: www.coffeygroup.com E: info@coffeygroup.com Property Director: Mark Coffey

GEM Unit 2, Block 4B Blanchardstown Corporate Park Dublin 15 D15 F2DK T: +353 (0)1 885 0432 W: www.gemconstruction.ie E: info@gemconstruction.ie Managing Director: Martin Healy

GeoDirectory The EXO Building North Wall Quay Dublin 1 D01 W5Y2 T: 01 705 7005 W: www.geodirectory.ie Chief Executive: Dara Keogh

Grant Engineering Ireland ULC Crinkle Birr, Co Offaly R42 D788 T: 057 912 0089 W: www.grant.ie E: info@grant.ie Contact: Barry Gorman

John Paul Construction The Termini Building 3 Arkle Road, Sandyford Dublin 18, D18 C9C5 T: 01 215 6100 W: www.johnpaul.ie E: info@johnpaul.ie

Dublin Head Office 3007 Lake Drive, Citywest Dublin 24, D24 N2HR T: 01 409 1500 W: www.sisk.com CEO: Paul Brown

Bord Gáis Energy 1 Warrington Place Dublin 2, D02 HH27 T: 01 611 0133 W: www.bordgaisenergy.ie Bord Gáis Energy Country Chair and Managing Director of Centrica Power: Dave Kirwan

Electric Ireland Superhomes Thurles Chamber Enterprise Centre TUS Thurles Campus Thurles, Co Tipperary E41 T6K5 T: 0818 600700 W: electricirelandsuperhomes.ie E: info@electricirelandsuperhomes.ie Contact: Joanne Quaid

SSE Airtricity Energy Services Red Oak South South County Business Park Leopardstown, Dublin 18 D18 W688 T: 0818 81 2220 W: www.sseairtricity.com Director: Stuart Hobbs

Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland 3 Park Place Hatch Street Dublin 2 Co Dublin D02 FX65 T: 01 808 2100 W: www.seai.ie E: info@seai.ie Chief Executive: William Walsh

Lisney St Stephen’s Green House Earlsfort Terrace Dublin, D02 PH42 T: 01 638 2700 W: www.lisney.com E: dublin@lisney.com Contact: James Nugent

Housing Ireland magazine

Deerpark Industrial Estate Oranmore Co Galway H91 D9P1 T: 091 790 044 W: www.coensteel.ie E: sales@coensteel.ie Managing Director: David Coen

Hooke & MacDonald 118 Lower Baggot Street Dublin 2, D02 AW89 T: 01 661 0100 W: www.hookemacdonald.ie E: info@hmd.ie Director: Donald MacDonald

Savills Ireland 33 Molesworth Street Dublin 2 D02 CP04 T: 01 618 1300 W: www.savills.ie Director: Sean Ryan McCaffrey

Sherry FitzGerald 176 Pembroke Road Ballsbridge Dublin 4, D04 EN80 T: 01 269 8888 W: www.sherryfitz.ie E: ballsbridge@sherryfitz.ie Managing Director: Ivan Gaine

Communications Property District: Strategic communications 5 Fitzwilliam Square Dublin 2, D02 R744 T: 091 506 074 W: www.propertydistrict.ie E: info@propertydistrict.ie Chief Executive Officer: Carol Tallon

Real estate and property Cairn Homes 45 Mespil Road Dublin 4, D04 W2F1 T: 01 696 4600 W: www.cairnhomes.com E: info@cairnhomes.com Chief Executive Officer: Michael Stanley

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Working together makes sense Housing systems in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland have evolved along different policy and regulatory paths, yet they face remarkably similar challenges, writes Paddy Gray.

Housing Ireland magazine

Rising construction costs, labour shortages, growing demand for social and affordable housing, and the need to build resilient communities are shared challenges across the island. As both jurisdictions seek solutions to housing supply and sustainability, greater collaboration offers significant potential.

The housing crisis does not recognise a border, and neither should the search for solutions. Many challenges are shared.

One of the most pressing is the shortage of skilled labour. Private developers, housing associations, approved housing bodies (AHBs), and local authorities are competing for a limited pool of construction workers, with shortages largely a consequence of the 2008 financial crash.

An all-island approach to workforce development could deliver substantial benefits. Joint apprenticeships, skills initiatives, and construction training programmes could create a larger, more flexible labour market. Housing providers, construction federations, educational institutions, and government departments could identify future workforce needs.

Procurement collaboration also offers opportunities. Shared learning around off-site construction, modern methods of construction, and framework agreements could help reduce costs while accelerating delivery. Viewing housing supply as a common challenge could help both sectors develop stronger construction capacity.

While increasing housing output remains essential, the success of social housing organisations is ultimately measured by the quality of communities they help create. Radius Housing in Northern Ireland and Tuath Housing in the Republic demonstrate the importance of community development, social inclusion, health

120

and wellbeing, tenant empowerment, and resident participation.

Building on this experience, there is potential to establish an all-island body focused on community development and tenant participation. Bringing together housing associations, AHBs, tenant representatives, community organisations, the Northern Ireland Housing Executive, relevant government departments, and The Housing Agency could promote best practice, training, research, and collaborative initiatives.

Most importantly, it would strengthen knowledge-sharing and keep tenant voices at the centre of housing policy and service delivery.

Sector representation offers another opportunity. The AHB sector in the Republic is represented by the Irish Council for Social Housing (ICSH), while Northern Ireland’s housing associations are represented through the Northern Ireland Federation of Housing Associations (NIFHA). Although both organisations advocate for providers facing many of the same challenges, there has never been a formal all-island federation bringing the sectors together.

An all-island federation could provide a stronger collective voice on funding, planning reform, sustainability, skills shortages, tenant engagement, and housing supply. It would not replace existing representative organisations, but complement them by focusing on priorities that transcend jurisdictional boundaries.

It could facilitate policy dialogue, research, joint conferences, and advocacy, while giving policymakers a broader evidence base. With both sectors facing pressures around climate targets, demographic change and affordability, greater coordination could strengthen their ability to influence policy and secure investment, particularly in border areas.

Perhaps the most ambitious area for collaboration lies in regulation. The establishment of the Approved Housing Bodies Regulatory Authority (AHBRA) in the Republic has strengthened governance and accountability, while Northern Ireland’s housing associations operate under a separate framework overseen by the Department for Communities.

While the systems have developed independently, there is merit in exploring greater regulatory cooperation. Both share objectives around governance standards, financial oversight, tenant protection, and longterm organisational sustainability.

Initially, this could involve enhanced information sharing, joint learning exercises, and regular engagement between AHBRA and the Department for Communities. This would allow both jurisdictions to exchange expertise and identify emerging risks. While legislative and constitutional considerations would need to be addressed, the concept warrants serious discussion.

The housing sectors in the Republic and Northern Ireland face many of the same challenges. Both are striving to increase supply, support vulnerable households, strengthen communities, and respond to pressures.

The case for greater all-island cooperation is compelling. The expertise already exists, and partnerships are developing. What is needed now is a willingness to build structures that allow collaboration to flourish.

Collaboration will not solve every challenge overnight. However, by working together on labour shortages, community development, tenant participation, sector representation, and regulatory oversight, housing organisations north and south can lay firmer foundations not only for more homes, but for more resilient communities.

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