Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 25 November 2025
561. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he has engaged with the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment to address the impact of electricity grid constraints on housing targets; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [66129/25]
View answerI have established a Housing Activation Office in my Department to coordinate and accelerate the delivery of infrastructure projects needed to enable housing development.
The Office includes experts seconded from Uisce Éireann, ESB Networks, the National Transport Authority, Transport Infrastructure Ireland and the local government sector who will support the work of the Office.
The Office is actively engaged in identifying barriers to housing delivery and is coordinating across local authorities, infrastructure agencies and Government Departments to address barriers in a coordinated way.
To support the work of the Office, I convened a new Housing Activation Delivery Group on 6 November 2025. This group brings together senior leaders from across government departments and infrastructure agencies, including the Secretary General of the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment and the CEO of ESB Networks. The Delivery Group is central to ensuring that the State is working together towards a single shared goal of accelerating housing delivery.
The Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment published their Sectoral Capital Plan for 2026-2030 on 12 November 2025 https://assets.gov.ie/static/documents/bd95ab8a/DCEE_Sectoral_Capital_Plan_2026_to_2030.pdf. As part of this, the Government has provided a total equity investment of €3.5 billion into ESB and EirGrid.
This funding will help to future proof Ireland’s electricity system. It will help to enable the delivery of over 500 capital network projects nationwide, support new housing connections and grid capacity for housing growth, integrate onshore and offshore renewables and strengthen grid reliability and decarbonisation.
My Department will continue to engage with officials in the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment in relation to the development of the electricity system to support housing growth. The Housing Activation Office will also work closely with ESB Networks to coordinate in relation to the investment needed to unlock key housing sites nationally.
