Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 20 March 2025
338. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will outline, in light of the ongoing housing crisis, the Government’s plans to achieve the target of constructing 60,000 homes annually over the next 25 years; and how the Government intends to incorporate modern construction methods, such as modular housing, to expedite this process. [9496/25]
View answerFurther to my response to Question No. 629 of 5 February 2025, the Programme for Government commits to a new housing plan that will build on Housing for All and support delivery of some 300,000 new homes by end-2030.
Priority actions from the Programme for Government, with the greatest potential impact, are already being progressed, including a new Strategic Housing Activation Office. This office will enable infrastructure to support public and private housing development, while providing solutions to infrastructure blockages. It will draw on a new Towns and Cities Infrastructure Investment Fund, established to support strategic investment in housing-oriented infrastructure.
Scaling-up to deliver 60,000 homes in 2030 can be achieved with targeted support to grow the construction industry’s capacity. In this regard, Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) can boost productivity and enhance efficiency in the construction sector, thereby increasing and accelerating the delivery of new homes. Government has already introduced an Accelerated Social Housing Delivery Programme using MMC, a Construct Innovate Technology Centre, a National Demonstration Park for MMC, the Build Digital project, the Built to Innovate initiative, and is working with the private sector to standardise approaches to the design of housing.
Additional measures to help meet Government’s targets are being considered in the context of the new housing plan.
