Barry Heneghan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

629. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the steps that are being taken to ensure the delivery of 60,000 homes annually, including the increased use of modular construction methods; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3578/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Programme for Government commits to building on the momentum generated under Housing for All to achieve a target of delivering more than 300,000 new homes by the end of 2030.

Housing for All, the most ambitious and comprehensive housing plan in the history of the State, was published in September 2021. The Plan contains a suite of actions that have and continue to increase the provision of housing through accelerating supply and increasing the affordability of homes for our citizens.

The Planning and Development Act 2024 is now in place and I will be prioritising its implementation. The measures under Housing for All are supporting innovation in construction to improve the pace and efficiency of home building; increasing the construction sector’s capacity to build housing at scale; increasing the delivery of social and affordable homes; and tackling vacancy and dereliction. Reflecting the importance of scaling up housing delivery, a record €6bn capital investment in housing was announced in Budget 2025 made up of €3.1bn exchequer funding, €1.25 allocated to the Land Development Agency (LDA) and €1.65bn for the Housing Finance Agency (HFA). This is the highest ever capital investment in the history of the State.

Utilising Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) has the potential to boost productivity, increase efficiency and improve sustainability in the construction sector. Steps taken to date to support the adoption of MMC in Ireland will help to increase and accelerate the delivery of homes. These steps include an Accelerated Social Housing Delivery Programme using MMC, a Construct Innovate Technology Centre, a National Demonstration Park for MMC, the Build Digital project, the Built to Innovate initiative, and the development of standardised approaches to the design of housing.

In total, between the years 2020-2024, 130,000 new homes have been built. This is the highest level of delivery since 2008.

This delivery is underpinned by a robust pipeline, which has seen an extraordinary boost in commencement activity. The latest data, published on 16 January 2025 shows that 60,243 new homes have commenced in 2024. This is a significant increase of 84% compared to 32,801 homes the previous year. This equates to on average 239 homes commenced every working day last year.

The Government is acutely aware of the housing challenges faced by many sectors of society. Under the Programme for Government published in January 2025, the Government have committed to introduce a new national housing plan to follow Housing for All. My Department is currently examining that commitment, its implementation and, the potential timeframe. While this work is being undertaken, the measures detailed in Housing for All, including measures to increase the adoption of Modern Method of Construction, continue to be progressed.