Taoiseach and Minister for Housing launch the largest public housing development in decades
Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage
News & updates from the Department of Housing, Local Government & Heritage
597 new affordable, cost rental and social homes in Shankill, Co Dublin
On 20 September, Taoiseach, Simon Harris and Minister for Housing, Darragh O'Brien TD officially launched Shanganagh Castle Estate, in Shankill, Co Dublin.
This is the first public housing scheme delivered on public land by the The Land Development Agency (LDA.) The development comprises a total of 597 high-quality houses and apartments including affordable purchase, cost rental and social homes.
It is also the first of a pipeline of around 20 housing projects due to be completed by the LDA on state-owned land and follows the completion of well over a thousand homes by the agency
76% increase in?new homes commenced in first eight months of year
Commencement figures published on 19 September showed that the number of new homes starts in the first eight months of 2024 was 76% higher than?the same period in 2023.?
The figures showed:
Land Development Agency progresses plans for over 1,600?new homes in Dublin and Cork
The Land Development Agency (LDA) is an important delivery partner for Housing for All. They co-ordinate public land to provide social and affordable homes for purchase and rent. Recently, they have announced details of three significant projects.
934 new homes in South Dublin: The LDA and Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council are lodging plans for 934 new homes on the site of the former Central Mental Hospital, Dundrum. The development will comprise 753 affordable and cost rental and 181 social homes. Learn more>>
350 new homes in Wilton, Cork: The ESB and the LDA have agreed on the transfer of a site at Wilton in Cork, which has the potential to deliver 350 homes. A design team has already?been?appointed to the project?and expects to make a planning application in first quarter?of next year. Learn more >>
408 new homes in North Dublin: Plans for 408 new affordable homes in Clongriffin in north Dublin have been lodged by the LDA. The homes will be one, two and three bed apartments ranging in height from three to seven storeys and will be cost rental and social homes. Learn more >>
Good news for first-time buyers as €100m pledged to?First Home Scheme?
On 11 September, Minister for Housing, Darragh O’Brien announced that the Government has pledged a further €100m to the First Home Scheme .
The First Home Scheme was set up to help first-time buyers to bridge the gap between their mortgage, deposit and the price of a new home.
Since its launch over two years ago, the scheme has been a hugely popular with 5,400 buyers approved. Significantly, the pipeline of applications continues to surge with the number of new applicants in the first six months of 2024, 43% higher than the same period last year.
Minister O'Brien said:?
“The First Home Scheme has been a big success in making home ownership a reality for people who otherwise would have been unable to bridge the affordability gap between their mortgage, deposit and the price of a new home. With today's announcement of increased funding, the scheme will extend its reach, turning the aspiration of owning a home into reality for even more people.
Secure tenancies drive the desirability of cost rental homes – new report
First major piece of research finds cost rental has?"transformative" effect on residents
The first major piece of research into cost rental housing in Ireland has found that access to cost rental has been transformative for many residents, offering them a sense of long-term security, ownership and pride.
Some of the report's key findings are:
More affordable homes becoming available to rent and buy
A central pillar of Housing for All is to increase delivery of different forms of housing to meet different housing needs. This includes new homes to buy or rent at below market rates, as well as social homes.
New cost rental and affordable purchase homes have been launched recently with others opening for application shortly.
Affordable Purchase: Macroom, Cork , Ferrybank, Kilkenny, Ballymun, Dublin, Baile Chláir, Galway?
Cost Rental: Waterford City , Shankill, Dublin
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Over 1,100 vacant commercial premises set to be redeveloped to create?2,716 new homes
Almost?100 former pubs will create nearly 300 new homes
Figures published on 16 August show that local authorities received 1,165 notifications to convert vacant commercial premises into new homes between 2018-2023. These notifications have the potential to result in 2,716 new homes across the country.
Planning exemptions introduced in 2018, removed the requirement for planning permission for the conversion of certain vacant commercial property into residential units. The exemption was extended to pubs in 2022. Since then, there have been 92 notifications relating to pubs to create 295 homes.
The initiative tackles vacancy, increases housing supply and helps to renew urban areas.
Mayo County Council marks €2m milestone for?vacant property refurbishment grants?
At the end of August, Invest Mayo announced that it had reached the milestone of?€2 million in grant payments to successful Mayo applicants to the vacant property refurbishment grant.
The?€2 million has been paid out to 41 households.? In total, 365 applications have been approved in Mayo.?
Speaking about the grant, one of the successful applicants, Sharon and Austin from the West Mayo said,
"We are just delighted to have breathed new life into an abandoned home. Our place was empty for many years and now it is full of life and such a lovely comfortable home."
Nationally, at the end of Q2?2024, 5,412 grants have been approved and?484 grants paid following completion of work.?
More social and affordable homes opened and launched?
Under Housing for All, there are?more?social and affordable homes being delivered than in a generation. In recent weeks, official openings and launches have taken place throughout the country in several locations.?
Promoting Housing for All at the Ploughing Championships
Ensuring that people can access and are aware of the various schemes and grants available under Housing for All is an important aspect of the work done by the Housing for all communications teams.
Recently, a revised Housing for All webpage was published and between 17-19 September, we had a specific Housing for All stands at the National Ploughing Championships which were held in Laois.
There was strong engagement from attendees in the initiatives on offer with particular interest in the numerous schemes which help bring vacant and derelict homes back into use.
Refund of?Uisce éireann Connection Charges
30 September is the deadline for residential developments to commence in order to avail of the Uisce éireann refund of standard connection charges.?
The temporary waiver was extended?to?incentivise the commencement of housing developments and help reduce construction costs
Housing for All homepage: The Housing for All webpage contains information on the plan, including a detailed outline of the objectives and actions under each of the plan's pathways.
Quarterly progress reports: Quarterly progress reports set out performance to-date against the targets and actions set out in the plan in a clear and comprehensible way.