Interventions to Increase Housing Supply

Following a recent Irish Home Builders Association member survey, a significant number of housebuilders do not expect to increase output this year. 

This is due to a reduction in the number of viable planning permissions, serviced land, infrastructure, funding for apartments or delays in technical or regulatory issues at local authority level.

The 2024 housing completion figure of 30,330 residential units was significantly below expectations.

The Irish Home Builders Association (IHBA), a constituent member body of CIF, represents house builders of all scales across Ireland. There is a palpable sense of frustration with all housebuilders as they attempt to scale up to deliver the much-needed housing for Ireland.

Many initiatives have been put in place in recent years that have helped to increase supply considerably. However, we are now at a crossroads with supply side initiatives. To scale up delivery, we need more zoned serviced and serviceable lands and a more effective planning delivery system, in addition to funding mechanisms.

Expediting housing supply needs to be treated as an emergency and funded accordingly. As such, the following outlines a summary list of our key immediate asks, with further details and supporting evidence in the attached. Read our full submission to government ‘Interventions to Increase Housing Supply.

Key Immediate Asks

1. Capital allocation for AHB Cost Rental and Social Housing schemes to accelerate the many projects in the approval process that are currently stalled. Remove all unnecessary delays in the approval process. Funding must be allocated on a multi annual basis to reduce uncertainty and interruptions.
2. Provide the necessary ringfenced funds of an extra €500m per annum to fund the design and construction of capital water and wastewater infrastructural projects. The connection application time frames must be within 8-10 weeks for all applications. Explore joint ventures between LA’s and UE for enabling infrastructure.
3. Expedite the planning applications currently delayed at An Bord Pleanála, Local Authorities and High Court.
4. Enable all lands currently zoned/in expired LAP’s/recently rezoned to deliver housing. No more settlement caps. Councils immediately instructed to protect the zoning of these lands. Adopt and commence the revised NPF immediately. Ensure that the current 50,500 target remains at a minimum, not a ceiling.
5. Introduce legislation to extend the duration of all existing planning permissions on a time-limited basis.
6. Reward Local Authorities for being proactive and achieving their housing delivery targets and beyond (on the basis that it is a minimum, not a ceiling). Instruct all Local Authorities to decide within 4 weeks issues such as road opening licenses, naming of estates, Part V, etc. 
7. Immediately establish the Strategic Housing and Infrastructure Delivery Office with significant input from active housebuilders to deal with current blockages to activation.

Read Interventions to Increase Housing Supply