‘Palpable concern’ home completions won’t rise this year

Housing Completions in Ireland: Navigating the roadblocks

Ireland faces a notable challenge in meeting its housing needs. Despite record-high housing commencements, the number of completions lags behind government targets, raising concerns about the country’s ability to keep pace with population growth.

The Irish Home Builders’ Association (IHBA) has voiced serious doubts about an increase in housing completions this year, citing several key obstacles.These include a decrease in viable planning permissions, limited availability of serviced land and infrastructure, and a shortage of funding for apartment developments. Last year, housing output fell to 30,000 homes, falling far short of the government’s target of approximately 40,000 completions.

Key Roadblocks to Housing Delivery

• Viable Planning Permissions: A decline in the number of approved planning permissions directly impacts the potential for new housing construction.
• Serviced Land Availability: The lack of readily available land with necessary utilities and connections hampers progress projects.
• Infrastructure Gaps: Insufficient investment in crucial infrastructure,such as roads,water networks,and public transport,hinders the development of new housing estates.
• Funding Constraints: Limited financial resources,particularly for apartment developments,pose a significant barrier to increasing housing supply.

The IHBA emphasizes the urgency of addressing these challenges, stating, “Expediting housing supply needs to be treated as an emergency and funded accordingly.”

IHBA’s Recommendations for Action

• streamlining the planning process to expedite applications currently delayed by courts, local authorities, and An Bord Pleanála.
• Allocating €500 million to accelerate the connection of zoned land to the water network, aiming for connection application timeframes of eight to ten weeks.
• Extending the validity of existing planning permissions to ensure ongoing project viability.
• Establishing a strategic housing and infrastructure delivery office with active involvement from housebuilders to resolve current bottlenecks in development.

Conor O’connell, Director of Housing and Planning with the Construction Industry Federation, underscores the need to address “blockages” within the industry. He highlights the critical role of infrastructure development, emphasizing the need for investment in utilities and public services to support housing growth. O’Connell explains that while Ireland saw a record 60,000 housing commencements last year, significant delays in obtaining utility connections, such as electricity and water, impede progress towards completion.

“The local area plan, which assigns how much zoned land can be activated in a given area, actually expired. Legally, they can’t be extended and following on from an An Bord Pleanála decision last year, those lands are now unzoned. But they can’t be activated for housing plannings at the moment,” O’Connell stated. This issue is scheduled for discussion at the Cabinet subcommittee, highlighting the government’s recognition of the urgency surrounding land use planning.

O’Connell emphasizes the need for a comprehensive review of population projections and infrastructure investment to ensure they adequately cater to current population growth trends. “We haven’t been investing in infrastructure for a long time to cater for the level of population growth. There’s no point in saying that our population projection from 2018, from the original National Planning Framework was written, that that is sufficient for where we are at now in terms of population growth,” he said.

Moving Forward: A Call to Action

Addressing Ireland’s housing crisis requires a multifaceted approach involving streamlined planning processes, increased investment in infrastructure, and proactive measures to ensure a steady supply of serviced land. It demands a commitment from all stakeholders, including the government, developers, and the wider community, to work collaboratively towards a lasting and equitable housing future for Ireland.

What do you think is the most pressing roadblock too housing delivery in Ireland today, and how can we best address it?

Housing Crisis in Ireland: Navigating the Obstacles

Interview with Aiden Kelly, Director of Housing Policy at the Irish home Builders’ association (IHBA)

Ireland is grappling with a critically important challenge in meeting its housing needs, with housing completions lagging behind targets despite record-high commencements. We sat down with Aiden Kelly, director of Housing Policy at the irish Home Builders’ Association (IHBA), to delve into the key roadblocks hindering housing delivery and explore potential solutions.

Understanding the Housing shortfall

Q: Aiden, let’s start by briefly discussing the current housing situation in Ireland. why are housing completions falling short of government targets?

A: Essentially, while we’ve seen a rise in housing commencements, several obstacles prevent us from translating these starts into sufficient completions. the housing output last year was around 30,000 homes, far from the government’s target of approximately 40,000 completions.

Key Challenges in Housing Delivery

Q: You’ve mentioned several roadblocks. Could you elaborate on the most pressing issues?

A: sure. These include:

• Decreasing Viable Planning Permissions: A decline in approved planning permissions directly impacts our ability to construct new homes.
• Limited Serviced Land Availability: The scarcity of readily available land with necessary utilities and connections is a significant hurdle.
• Gaps in Infrastructure: insufficient investment in crucial infrastructure, like roads, water networks, and public transport, hinders new housing estate development.
• Funding Constraints, particularly for Apartment Developments: Limited financial resources pose a significant barrier to increasing housing supply, especially for higher-density units.

Q: How urgent do you believe these challenges need to be addressed?

A: Extremely urgent. Expediting housing supply should indeed be treated as an emergency and funded accordingly, given our growing population and housing demand.

The Way Forward: IHBA’s Recommendations

Q: If we were to prioritize actions, what steps would you recommend?

A: We propose the following:

• streamlining the planning process to expedite applications.
• Allocating €500 million to accelerate water network connections, targeting eight to ten weeks for applications.
• Extending the validity of existing planning permissions to maintain project viability.
• Establishing a strategic housing and infrastructure delivery office involving housebuilders to address current development bottlenecks.

Q: Conor O’Connell from the Construction Industry Federation has also highlighted the need for infrastructure investment.how do you see this fitting into the bigger picture?

A: Absolutely. Infrastructure development plays a critical role in supporting housing growth. We must invest in utilities and public services to ensure our new homes can thrive.Population projections and infrastructure investment should go hand in hand, continuously reviewed and updated to cater to current growth trends.

Engaging Stakeholders and Moving Forward

Q: With such a multifaceted approach needed, how can we ensure all stakeholders work collaboratively towards an equitable housing future?

A: Collaboration is key. It’s vital for the government, developers, and the wider community to work together, aligning policies, allocating resources efficiently, and regularly reviewing progress. Only then can we hope to achieve a lasting and equitable housing future for Ireland.

Thought-provoking Question for Readers: What do you think is the most pressing roadblock to housing delivery in Ireland today, and how can we best address it?