Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
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670. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government whether Cork City Council and Cork County Council will receive proportionate infrastructure funding to deliver on regional housing targets, given the concentration of new housing spend in Dublin. [48388/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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The Revised National Planning Framework April 2025, sets updated national and regional housing targets to 2040. These targets provide the basis for the local authority Housing Growth Requirements I issued to local authorities in July. These updated growth requirements will be incorporated into local authority development plans to ensure a balanced approach to housing growth across all regions.

The Government also agreed in April, to establish a new Housing Activation Office in my Department, to address infrastructure barriers that are impacting housing development on zoned lands.

The Office will work with local authorities, including Cork City and Cork County Councils, and infrastructure agencies to develop a pipeline of housing enabling infrastructure projects aimed at addressing infrastructure blockages and accelerating housing delivery.

The Office will manage a Housing Infrastructure Investment Fund under the National Development Plan to support direct investment in infrastructure needed at a local level to unblock housing development. This Fund will complement investment by agencies such as Uisce Éireann and ESBN, who have also received funding under the National Development Plan, to support housing development.

It is of note that Cork has already benefitted from targeted investment in housing infrastructure in recent years.

Under the Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund Cork and Cork County Councils have been approved €59.1m in grant funding, of which my Department is providing €45.7m, across five infrastructure projects. The projects include a new spine road, junction upgrade and storm water sewer at Water-Rock, Midleton and the re-routing of power lines and road and drainage improvements at Old Whitechurch Road in Cork City. A further project at Glanmire is also being progressed.

Cork has also received substantial support under the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund. Cork Docklands is the single largest URDF-supported project in the country, with €353.4m allocated under Call 2 and an additional €4.15m approved in 2024. This project will unlock the Docklands’ potential as a vibrant new neighbourhood. Further URDF support has been provided under Call 3, with allocations of €6m for Cork City and €8m for Cork County to address vacancy and dereliction.

Taken together, these measures ensure that housing delivery in Cork and nationally will be supported, in line with the Revised National Planning Framework.