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Govt's National Housing Plan to be published on Thursday

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  Published in House and Home on Monday, November 10th 2025 at 9:09 GMT by RTE Online
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National Housing Plan 2025‑2030, was presented by Minister for Housing and Community Development, Leo Varadkar, in a televised briefing at Áras an Uachtaráin, with a key focus on delivering 50,000 new homes across the island over the next six years.

Key Pillars of the Plan

1. Accelerated Construction Cadence

Varadkar emphasized the need to "dramatically increase the pace of construction" by streamlining planning approvals and providing financial incentives to developers. The plan earmarks €2.3 billion in public financing for public‑private partnership (PPP) projects, with a focus on medium‑to‑large developments that can leverage private capital.

2. Affordable Housing Quotas

All new developments over 100 units must allocate 20 % of the units as affordable—a step up from the current 10 % statutory minimum. The plan introduces a new “Affordability Guarantee” that protects tenants from rent increases for the first 10 years, backed by a dedicated €200 million Housing Affordability Fund.

3. Revamped Local Authority Role

Local authorities will receive €650 million over six years to expand their housing stock, including the conversion of under‑used community buildings into social housing and the acquisition of land earmarked for low‑cost development. The plan also calls for a new regulatory framework that allows authorities to “issue building permits in a single application process” to reduce bureaucratic delays.

4. Green Building Standards

The government is setting a zero‑carbon target for all new construction by 2035, with the plan offering subsidies for renewable energy installations, energy‑efficient materials, and waste‑reduction protocols. An independent Green Building Oversight Board will certify compliance, ensuring that 80 % of new homes meet or exceed the BREEAM ‘Excellent’ rating.

5. Housing Resilience and Innovation

The plan introduces a Housing Innovation Fund of €150 million to support pilot projects in modular housing, co‑ownership models, and technology‑enabled maintenance systems. The fund is intended to reduce the cost of construction and improve long‑term maintenance efficiency.

Legislative and Policy Adjustments

• Planning Reform Bill: A new bill will revise the Planning and Development Act to introduce “fast‑track” approvals for affordable and green projects, reduce mandatory public consultation periods, and create a national “Housing Planning Portal” to centralise applications.

• Rent Control Measures: The plan proposes a temporary rent freeze of 3 % for tenants in newly constructed affordable units, with an annual review mechanism tied to inflation and housing market indices.

• Funding Mechanisms: The Housing Capitalisation Scheme (HCS) will offer low‑interest loans to developers who commit to at least 15 % affordable housing in their projects. The scheme is backed by a €5 billion loan facility from the Central Bank, ensuring sustainable financing.

Stakeholder Reactions

• Housing Action Committee (HAC): The committee, which represents a coalition of housing advocacy groups, welcomed the plan but urged the government to increase the affordable housing quota to 30 % for new projects and to ensure stronger enforcement of rent limits.

• National Housing Authority (NHA): In a statement, the NHA praised the new funding levels but warned that “without a coordinated national land bank, the plan may fail to deliver the necessary supply of land for development.”

• Developers’ Federation (DF): The federation lauded the PPP financing model but requested clearer timelines for the approval of the new regulatory framework, citing uncertainty that has previously delayed project start dates.

• Opposition Leader, Emma Doyle: Doyle called the plan “a step in the right direction” yet criticized the lack of a robust Housing Acceleration Task Force to oversee implementation and transparency.

Additional Context and Resources

The briefing included a link to the full National Housing Plan 2025‑2030 PDF (https://www.housing.gov.ie/plan2025-2030.pdf), which details the fiscal allocations, milestone targets, and projected socioeconomic impacts. Reviewing the document reveals that the plan is built upon the findings of the 2024 Housing Supply Review (https://www.cro.ie/housing-review-2024), which highlighted a 12 % shortfall in housing supply and a projected rent‑to‑income ratio rising to 28 % by 2030 without intervention.

Another referenced document is the Green Building Guidelines published by the Irish Environmental Agency (https://www.era.ie/green-building-guidelines), outlining the technical requirements for achieving the zero‑carbon target, including the use of Cross‑Laminate Timber (CLT) and solar photovoltaic installations on residential roofs.

Timeline and Next Steps

1. 2025 Q2 – Legislative process for the Planning Reform Bill commences in the Dáil.
2. 2025 Q3 – Launch of the Housing Innovation Fund pilot projects in Dublin, Cork, and Galway.
3. 2025 Q4 – First tranche of PPP financing released to developers.
4. 2026 – Implementation of the “Affordability Guarantee” across all new developments.

Minister Varadkar closed the briefing by stressing that the plan is “not a long‑term dream but a concrete, actionable pathway that will create thousands of homes, keep rents affordable, and ensure Irish homes are built to last in a sustainable future.” The government now faces the challenge of translating these ambitious targets into on‑the‑ground results while maintaining fiscal prudence and stakeholder confidence.