Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 5 March 2026
401. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the national policy or policies which allow local authorities to deliver social, affordable and private housing tenures; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18113/26]
View answerDelivering Homes, Building Communities, published 13 November 2025, is Ireland’s new national housing plan. It is a wide-ranging action plan focused on housing supply and targeting homelessness. The Plan targets the delivery of 300,000 new homes by 2030, including 72,000 social homes and 90,000 affordable supports.
It sets out that reaching these targets will only be achieved through the individual and collective efforts of key delivery partners - local authorities, the Land Development Agency (LDA), Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) and the construction sector - who will be critical to the delivery of the quantum of homes needed.
Delivering Homes, Building Communities encompasses two pillars, activating supply and supporting people. Pillar 1 focuses on activating the supply of 300,000 homes. This will be achieved through activating more land, providing more housing-related infrastructure, securing more development finance for home building, addressing viability challenges, particularly those seen in apartment delivery, increasing the adoption of Modern Methods of Construction, increasing the skills in the residential construction sector and working toward ending dereliction and vacancy.
Pillar 2 details how Government will support people. It sets out a series of key actions that work towards ending homelessness, support affordability and address the housing needs of people as they progress through life. In partnership with local authorities, the LDA and AHBs, the Plan will address the needs of the most vulnerable in our communities, make buying and renting homes more affordable, and support the development of villages, towns and cities across the country.
Other measures set out in the Plan, such as the introduction of the new single approval process for all new build social housing projects up to a value of €200m; a new Starter Homes Programme which will deliver an average of 15,000 affordable housing supports each year; the Housing Activation Office (HAO) addressing barriers to the delivery of public infrastructure projects required to enable housing development; mandating the use of standard house layouts and specifications as part of the new approval process; facilitating the use of Modern Methods of Construction (MMC); and expanding the role and remit of the Land Development Agency (LDA) will help activate the levels of supply of social, affordable and private homes that are now needed.
Further information is available at www.gov.ie/en/department-of-housing-local-government-and-heritage/publications/delivering-homes-building-communities-2025-2030-an-action-plan-on-housing-supply-and-targeting-homelessness/
