4th July 2024Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien TD: ‘What we are doing is radical’
Less than a week after the Report of The Housing Commission was published, Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien TD – the longest serving Housing Minister since Noel Dempsey – meets with Ciarán Galway to discuss its contents, as well as the broader context of housing policy […]
4th July 2024Cover story: A partnership approach
As the first media on site at the State’s largest public housing scheme since ground was broken in November 2022, Housing Ireland Magazine gets a sense of the scale of the Land Development Agency’s (LDA) flagship project with Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council at Shanganagh, south Dublin, and talks partnership, direct […]
4th July 2024Decades of housing interventions have not resolved ‘fundamentally systemic failures’
Only a “radical strategic reset of housing policy” will address a long-standing failure to adequately recognise housing as a critical social and economic priority, the Report of The Housing Commission has asserted. Setting out its recommendation that housing must be “a unique national priority”, The Housing Commission assesses that confidence […]
4th July 2024Housing Agency CEO Bob Jordan: Rising to the housing challenge
Rising to meet the challenges of the housing crisis, The Housing Agency’s role has expanded in recent years. Ciarán Galway visits its Mount Street headquarters, to discuss purpose, bridging the funding gap, and supporting new housing supply with the agency’s CEO, Bob Jordan. Almost three years into Jordan’s time at […]
4th July 2024Round table discussion: Bridging the funding gap to facilitate housing delivery
Beauchamps hosted a round table discussion with key housing stakeholders from across the public and private sectors to explore their perspectives on bridging the funding gap to meet the estimated €20 billion required to deliver the Government’s new target for housing delivery. What is the true cost of delivering an […]
4th July 2024Innovative housing for wellbeing: Respond’s Brain Health Village
As Ireland’s leading construction-led Approved Housing Body and service provider, Respond is committed to creating sustainable communities that enhance the well-being of their residents. The Brain Health Village project, spearheaded by Respond in collaboration with the Global Brain Health Institute (GBHI) Trinity College Dublin, represents a pioneering effort to integrate […]
4th July 2024Housing for All progress ahead of major change
Ahead of the publication of the new housing delivery targets expected as part of the National Planning Framework revision, Chloé Murray assesses Housing for All progress. The latest quarterly progress report outlines that to date, building started on over 37,400 new homes in the year to the end of March […]
4th July 2024Uisce Éireann: Enabling Ireland to thrive
Uisce Éireann, as Ireland’s national regulated water utility, is responsible for the delivery of secure, safe, and sustainable water services for the people of Ireland. We are fully committed to playing our part in the delivery of water services to support the national drive to provide homes to people who […]
4th July 2024Strong delivery of affordable housing in Fingal
Over the last few months Fingal County Council has partnered with some of Ireland’s leading homebuilding firms to offer almost 500 affordable homes across the county for private affordable sale. With one of the fastest growing and youngest populations in Ireland, it is not surprising that the provision of housing […]
4th July 2024Housing quality linked to wellbeing outcomes for families
Amid the drive to increase housing supply, attention must be given to the quality of housing and the communities in which people live, comprehensive research on family wellbeing has suggested. The Economic and Social Research Institute’s (ESRI) Housing, Health and Happiness: How Inadequate Housing Shapes Child and Parental Wellbeing research […]
4th July 2024Rent restrictions impeding housing supply
Rent control was first introduced in Ireland in 1915. As unintended consequences emerged in the following decades, numerous changes were made to the legislation. However, all this tinkering caused vast swathes of properties in our cities and towns falling into disrepair and dereliction. Landlords had no incentive or revenue to […]
4th July 2024Design and delivery of affordable housing: Some of the best examples in Ireland
Since The Housing Agency was established in 2012 it has aimed to find solutions to support the delivery of housing and promote the development of sustainable communities. In 2020, The Housing Agency published a report titled Social, Affordable & Co-operative Housing in Europe which examined 44 case studies of housing […]
4th July 2024Homeownership schemes polarise discourse
While Taoiseach Simon Harris TD advocates for the Help to Buy scheme to be extended for five years, many in opposition believe the schemes are flawed. Census 2022 indicates that that Ireland’s rate of homeownership stood at 66 per cent, a slight decline from the figure of 68 per cent […]
4th July 2024Recast Energy Performance of Buildings Directive: What does this mean for the residential sector?
Phillip Lee LLP’s Angelyn Rowan examines the impact of the Recast Energy Performance of Buildings Directive on the residential sector in Ireland. The EU has established a legislative framework to boost the energy performance of buildings with one of the key aims being to achieve a highly energy efficient and […]
4th July 2024Housing crisis: Social home output
With the delivery of more social homes a key tenant of actions to mitigate the housing crisis north and south, David Whelan assesses the significant gap in delivery. In June 2024, housing and homelessness sector leaders in Northern Ireland collaborated on a letter to the North’s First Minister and deputy […]
4th July 2024Circle VHA: Landmark direct construction provides 47 homes
Circle Voluntary Housing Association (VHA) proudly celebrates the completion of 47 new homes at Railway Court, Dublin 1. This milestone project, achieved through an innovative €16 million partnership with AIB, marks Circle’s first direct construction initiative. Breaking new ground in affordable housing The Railway Court development stands on the former […]
4th July 2024Northern Housing Minister Gordon Lyons MLA: Housing priorities
The North’s new Minister for Communities, Gordon Lyons MLA, outlines his strategic priorities, including the finalisation of a long-awaited housing supply strategy. The Department for Communities has a broad remit of responsibilities – from languages to heritage, sport to culture, benefits to building safety, arts to poverty. Within its spectrum […]
4th July 2024What the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive means for housing
Introduction of government subsidies, integrated district approaches to developments, and eradication of energy poverty are among the requirements facing EU member states under the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive. The revised Energy Performance of Buildings Directive, which entered into force on 28 May 2024, must be adopted by the State […]
4th July 2024Driving future skills in sustainable construction
Construction is currently one of the most important sectors in Ireland where a range of new skills are needed to deliver on the Government’s ambitious targets for climate action and Housing for All. Research commissioned by SOLAS, the further education and training authority, has indicated Ireland needs over 50,000 additional […]
4th July 2024Sinn Féin housing spokesperson Eoin Ó Broin TD: ‘We could achieve a hell of a lot’
Surrounded by a dozen piles of housing policy documents, Sinn Féin housing spokesperson, Eoin Ó Broin TD sits down with Ciarán Galway to outline his critique of government policy and articulate the alternative. Reflecting on the fact that Sinn Féin President Mary Lou McDonald TD has repeatedly said that “housing […]
4th July 2024A European housing policy perspective
Dara Turnbull, research coordinator at Housing Europe, compares the housing context in Ireland with exemplar EU member states. Speaking on behalf of Housing Europe, the European federation of public, cooperative, and social housing, Turnbull unpacks Delivering on housing in Ireland: A European policy perspective. Commissioned by the European Parliament’s Renew […]
3rd July 2024Latent defects in newly built homes
Purchasers opt for newly built homes for various reasons. Whilst we hope for perfection in the completion of such properties, this is not always the case. Occasionally, defects become apparent, and purchasers must then look to the options available to them to have such defects rectified writes Conor Dunne, Associate, […]
3rd July 2024Designing for affordable housing and sustainable communities
Principal Architectural Advisor and Head of the Strategic Delivery and Urban Advisory Unit in the Affordable Housing Division of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Martin Colreavy, discusses the importance of a plan-and-design-led process for the delivery of affordable housing. Describing the on-going challenges of climate change as […]
3rd July 2024Continued expansion of AHB sector in 2023
The recently published ICSH 2023 Activity Report showed a continuing increase in social housing delivery by approved housing bodies (also known as AHBs or housing associations) for that year. This accounted for 47 per cent of all total social housing delivery. Together with local authorities, almost 12,000 social rented homes […]
3rd July 2024Homelessness: An all-island challenge
Despite efforts to eradicate homelessness across the island of Ireland, figures continue to increase both north and south. Homelessness in Ireland, north and south, is escalating, as evidenced by recent statistics and surveys. In the Republic, the number of people in homelessness has surged by 14 per cent from April […]
3rd July 2024A co-operative housing model fit for Ireland
In more recent years, CHI has grown its capacity rapidly to support its burgeoning output and adapted to new regulations for AHBs as well as an ever-challenging building climate. With over 5,500 homes under its management and having supported 3,000 home ownership co-operative homes the organisation continues to focus on […]
3rd July 2024MMC: A modern solution to Ireland’s complex housing needs
A Housing Committe report on modern methods of construction (MMC) has found that MMC has the potential to address challenges such as meeting climate change targets, meeting the needs of a growing population, and helping to solve the housing crisis. The report on modern methods of construction, published by the […]
3rd July 2024Government extends development levy waiver and Uisce Éireann rebate
Publishing its Housing for All Q1 2024 Progress Report in April 2024, government confirmed extensions to the development levy waiver and the water connection charge rebate scheme aimed at reducing residential construction costs and sustaining increased housing development commencements. Commencements in Q1 2024 increased by 63 per cent relative to […]
3rd July 2024SSE AES: Making Irish homes cosier and more energy efficient
SSE Airtricity is working with governments, local authorities, and domestic customers to support the decarbonisation of homes across the island of Ireland. Generation Green Home Upgrade As a leading provider of cleaner, greener energy for homes and businesses across Ireland, we are all about making Ireland a more sustainable place. […]
3rd July 2024Social housing disparity across local authorities
The number of households in the state in the state whose social housing need is not being met rose by almost 1,000 between 2022 to 2023, with an evident disparity of need across all 31 local authorities. On 1 November 2023, a total of 58,824 households were recorded as qualified […]
3rd July 2024Age-friendly housing: Meeting the needs of Ireland’s ageing population
The demographic landscape of Ireland is rapidly evolving, with an increasing proportion of the population reaching the age of 65 and over. According to the latest census data, there has been a 22 per cent increase in the number of people aged 65 and over living in Ireland since 2016, […]
3rd July 2024Bigger barriers to housing development than finance
Project viability, not access to finance, remains the primary challenge to residential development, a government appointed investment group has reported. Funding of land without planning permission; funding apartment developments which do not have a committed purchase from the State; and funding projects which require significant infrastructure development, are highlighted of […]
3rd July 2024Coillte: Promoting wood as the sustainable building material of the future
The EU aims to be climate-neutral by 2050, an objective that is at the heart of the European Green Deal and its strategy for a sustainable built environment. Today, construction and the building sector represent 38 per cent of global energy related CO2eq emissions, and with the focus now firmly […]
3rd July 2024Housing Commission split on right to housing referendum
The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Housing published The Housing Commission’s referendum report calling for the State to guarantee a right of access to adequate housing “as far as practicable”. Owing to fundamental disagreement, the Minister simultaneously published the minority report prepared by dissenting commissioners, which argues that the […]
3rd July 2024Grant’s integrated heating solutions delivering efficiency to residential projects throughout Ireland
Grant continues to lead the way in innovative home heating technologies that ensure Irish homes can benefit from highly efficient, sustainable, low-cost heating. Having largely transformed into a renewable heating company, Grant’s product portfolio boasts a wide range of award-winning technologies including the Aerona³ air to water air source heat […]
3rd July 2024Climate Action Plan 2024 and housing
Under Climate Action Plan 2024 (CAP24), the Government is targeting a 40 per cent reduction in residential buildings emissions through retrofitting, district heating, and heat pumps. Published in December 2023, the forth iteration of the Climate Action Plan (CAP) reiterates government’s target for 500,000 homes to be retrofitted to a […]
3rd July 2024Build 2024: ‘Reason to be positive’ on construction progress
Although the construction sector is dealing with supply challenges arising from the Covid-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine, the Build 2024 report asserts that there is “reason to be positive” in terms of the initiatives which aim to increase the efficiency and productivity of the sector. The Build 2024 […]
3rd July 2024Seven Mills: Building a new town
The Greek Philosopher Heraclitus famously once said: ‘Big results require big ambition’. Cairn embarked on a new adventure that certainly required bundles of big ambition – the building of Seven Mills, a vibrant new town, located on the Grand Canal between Lucan and Clondalkin in Dublin 22. Once completed, the […]
3rd July 2024Design standards in social housing delivery
Senior architect advisor within the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage’s (DHLGH) housing advisory unit, Joan MacMahon, discusses the role of design standardisation measures in ensuring affordable delivery. DHLGH’s housing advisory unit comprises a team of architects and quantity surveyor advisors, which provides technical advice to colleagues across the […]
3rd July 2024Tuath Housing: Delivering affordability at scale
Tuath is one of Ireland’s largest approved housing bodies with over 13,000 homes in management. Our commitment to strategic growth and collaboration has positioned Tuath as a partner of choice for the public and private sectors, aiding the delivery of high-quality homes and first-class services to residents. A growing number […]
3rd July 2024MMC Homebuilding: A new approach to temporary housing for Ireland
MMC Homebuilding is introducing its innovative approach to permanent-build but relocatable housing to the Irish temporary housing market. Committed to delivering affordable, sustainable, and high-quality housing through its portable optimised dwellings (PODs), these robust, relocatable, modular homes are designed to address the specific needs of diverse populations. Innovative design and […]
3rd July 2024North’s housing supply strategy could be approved ‘fairly quickly’
A long-term strategy to relieve housing stress in Northern Ireland which narrowly missed out on Executive approval, remains in “good shape” and could be approved quickly, MLAs have been told. Answering questions before the Northern Ireland Assembly’s Committee for Communities, the Department’s senior official with responsibility for housing, Mark O’Donnell, […]
3rd July 2024Oaklee publishes updated corporate strategy and announces rebrand
Oaklee, an approved housing body established in 2001 and a founding member of The Housing Alliance, is transforming to meet the need for social and affordable housing. The priority of the Oaklee board for the next three years is to deliver more homes and to make a significant contribution to […]
3rd July 2024Speed in tackling vacant social housing ‘critical’ to regeneration
Almost 2,500 vacant homes have been returned to active use in 2023 under the Government’s Voids Programme, following a significant uplift in funding. A total of 2,481 vacant social homes were brought back into active use across local authorities in 2023 under the Voids Programme, after a significant uplift in […]
3rd July 2024Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant approval rate increase
7,366 applications have been received for the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant Scheme since its launch in 2022, the most recent figures by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage show. Of the total applications, 3,937 were made to the applications for Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant and 3,415 applications were […]
3rd July 2024Threshold for purchasing local authority homes lowered
The Government has lowered the threshold for long-term tenants to own their local authority homes. In January 2024, the Government lowered the qualifying threshold for the Incremental Tenant Purchase Scheme to €11,000 from €12,500. New eligibility criteria to the Incremental Tenant Purchase Scheme, which includes lowering the minimum income requirement […]
3rd July 2024Transforming the Irish housing market: Hapi Homes and modern methods of construction
Hapi Homes’ innovative approach to construction, which utilises MMC and light gauge steel, aligns perfectly with the Government’s agenda to meet demand challenges and provide homes which are sustainable and fit for a net zero future. The Irish housing market faces a persistent challenge in meeting the demand for affordable, […]
3rd July 2024Government to consider major RPZ reform
Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien TD has stated his intention to include proposals for significant reform of RPZs in the upcoming rental market review. Since their introduction, RPZs have undergone change, but a comprehensive review of their effectiveness is still pending. The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien […]
3rd July 2024Making inclusive housing policy a reality
Fully implementing the National Housing Strategy for Disabled People will build a more equal Ireland, writes Jacqui Browne, Chair of the Disabled Person’s Organisation (DPO) Network. Nearly 22 per cent of the population of Ireland is disabled. Thousands of disabled people cannot access appropriate housing in Ireland. The right to […]
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Housing Ireland 2024
Housing Ireland 2024 took place on Wednesday 6th March at Croke Park, Dublin. The event was held in association with The Housing Agency and sponsored by Beauchamps and The Land Development Agency. Over 350 delegates attended the event which was opened with an address from Darragh O’Brien TD, Minister for Housing, Local Government & Heritage.
Delegates in attendance heard from 26 speakers, both visiting and local, from organisations including Housing Europe; Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage; Circle VHA; Northern Ireland Federation of Housing Associations; Irish Congress of Trade Unions and Monaghan County Council.
To stay in touch about next year’s event, please email info@eolasmagazine.ie
