Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 5 March 2026
249. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the engagement he has had with the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Energy on the impact of grid constraint on the delivery of housing targets; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17080/26]
View answerThe Government recognises that the delivery of housing must be aligned with the timely provision of supporting infrastructure, including electricity network capacity. Under Delivering Homes, Building Communities, the Government has committed to significantly accelerating housing delivery by activating land and creating the optimal conditions for development, supported by regulatory reform, tax incentives and unprecedented capital investment. The Action Plan acknowledges that the delivery of at least 300,000 homes over its lifetime must proceed in-step with infrastructure provision, including necessary investment in electricity network infrastructure.
The Government’s housing targets are based on a realistic and broad assessment of the housing system, including constraints currently impacting delivery, such as electricity and other enabling infrastructure. Ensuring the continued delivery of grid capacity to support housing growth into the future is therefore a priority for Government and is being addressed through significant investment and coordinated cross-government action. The updated National Development Plan includes provision for major investment in electricity infrastructure. This includes €3.5 billion in equity funding allocated to ESB and EirGrid to 2030, as set out in the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment’s Sectoral Capital Plan for 2026–2030. This investment will support over 500 capital network projects nationwide, facilitate new housing connections, provide grid capacity for housing growth, integrate renewable generation and strengthen overall grid resilience and decarbonisation.
To ensure that these investments result in delivery, the Government has established a dedicated taskforce within the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment that includes my Department. The Government has also established the Accelerating Renewable Energy and Accelerating Infrastructure Taskforces, which aim to accelerate the development of renewable electricity generation and infrastructure and work in tandem with the housing focused delivery mechanisms.
In parallel, I established the Housing Activation Office (HAO) within my Department. The HAO includes expertise seconded from key infrastructure agencies, including ESB Networks, alongside staff with planning and project management expertise. The Office is actively engaging with all 31 local authorities and infrastructure providers to identify and address infrastructure constraints impacting housing delivery. The HAO is also working directly with ESB Networks to coordinate investment required to unlock key housing sites nationally. In addition, the HAO holds monthly coordination meetings with the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment to discuss electricity grid capacity to ensure alignment between housing delivery priorities and electricity infrastructure planning.
Furthermore, to support engagement and coordination, I have convened a Housing Activation Delivery Group comprising senior representatives from Government Departments, including Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment, and infrastructure agencies that include ESB Networks and EirGrid.
In addition, my Department launched the first Call under the new Housing Infrastructure Investment Fund on 21 January 2026, focusing on advanced infrastructure projects capable of delivery in the 2026–2028 timeframe to support early housing delivery.
Taken together, these measures demonstrate the strong level of engagement and coordination in place to align housing activity with grid capacity. This work will continue to be strengthened as part of the Government’s integrated approach to housing and infrastructure delivery.
