Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 30 September 2026
101. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of sites currently being examined by the Housing Activation Office; the number of homes capable of being delivered on those sites; the barriers to delivery; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [69320/26]
View answer103. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of homes currently delayed due to infrastructure deficits, including water, wastewater, transport and electricity constraints; the location of the affected developments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [69316/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 101 and 103 together.
Since its establishment, the Housing Activation Office (HAO) has worked across Government, local authorities, infrastructure providers and the development sector to identify and address infrastructure barriers impacting housing development and to coordinate the delivery of housing enabling infrastructure projects at these locations.
A key measure in support of this objective, was the launch of the €1 billion Housing Infrastructure Investment Fund (HIIF) in January 2026. The Fund is managed by the HAO in my Department and supports direct investment in housing enabling public infrastructure projects that are needed to unlock housing lands and accelerate housing delivery.
Under the first call for applications under the HIIF, 82 infrastructure projects were accepted onto the programme. The projects relate to sites where infrastructure deficits in areas such as transport, water and energy have been identified as a barrier to housing delivery. Collectively, the sites supported by these projects have the potential to deliver up to 200,000 homes nationwide, both directly and indirectly.
A full list of projects accepted to the HIIF programme can be accessed at the following link:
assets.gov.ie/static/documents/9d47d273/Housing_Infrastructure_Investment_Fund_Call_1_-_List_of_Projects.pdf.
The HAO team is working with local authorities and the Land Development Agency to support the delivery of these projects and will work with critical utilities such as Uisce Éireann and ESB Networks to ensure complementary investment in water and energy in tandem with the delivery of the 82 projects.
The HAO is also continuing to engage with local authorities in relation to the pipeline of projects needed to unlock lands identified for housing in towns and cities nationwide.
In addition, the HAO works with critical utilities, such as Uisce Éireann and ESB Networks, to resolve issues that are impacting housing completions on individual sites. The HAO’s multi-agency team with representation from across critical utilities and transport agencies has been key to getting a clear understanding of the issues and resolving the issues quickly.
Through this engagement, the HAO has helped to resolve site specific barriers affecting the completion of more than 2,300 homes nationwide. The issues identified have included water or electricity connection issues, as well as broader coordination and delivery challenges.
The HAO continues to work with stakeholders to identify emerging infrastructure constraints, address delivery issues as they arise and develop a pipeline of housing-enabling infrastructure projects to support future housing delivery.
