Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 12, inclusive, together.

The Cabinet committee on housing has met eight times in the past 12 months and most recently on 26 June. The next meeting is currently being scheduled. The committee works to ensure a co-ordinated approach to the implementation of Housing for All and the programme for Government commitments regarding housing and related matters.

The plan is working. In the first three months of this year, over 6,700 new homes were built, an increase of almost 20% on the same quarter last year but still not enough. The pipeline for home-building is strong. In the year to May, building started on almost 13,000 homes, up 7% compared with the same period last year but still not enough. In May alone, building started on over 3,000 new homes, a rise of 11% on May of last year. Planning permissions in the first quarter of this year were up by 40% compared with the same period last year, with well over 11,000 new homes approved for construction.

We are seeing the highest number of people buying their first home than in any period in well over a decade and perhaps in even two. Data released last week showed that over 700 first-time buyers are being approved for mortgages every week. This is the highest figure since records began, at least with regard to this series.

We are implementing several significant reforms including an overhaul of our planning legislation, aimed at increasing the delivery of new homes and bringing clarity and efficiency to our planning system. We have also approved the review of the national planning framework, NPF, and published a roadmap to complete this. Undertaking this review will help us to better respond to developments since the NPF was published in 2018, including changes in our population.

The Government understands the major challenges facing the residential construction sector, from high inflation to rising interest rates, and we have taken action to reduce the viability gap. We are kickstarting new apartment development in our urban centres through the Project Tosaigh and Croí Cónaithe initiatives. We are temporarily waiving local authority development contributions and refunding Uisce Éireann water and wastewater connection charges to encourage the further building of homes. These measures and others in Housing for All are the most effective way to accelerate housing supply. The Housing for All progress report for quarter 2 of 2023 will go to Cabinet next Tuesday and be published thereafter.

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