{"id":178349,"date":"2025-11-13T11:16:14","date_gmt":"2025-11-13T11:16:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/178349\/"},"modified":"2025-11-13T11:16:14","modified_gmt":"2025-11-13T11:16:14","slug":"long-awaited-housing-plan-pledges-300000-new-homes-by-2030-the-irish-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/178349\/","title":{"rendered":"Long-awaited housing plan pledges 300,000 new homes by 2030 \u2013 The Irish Times"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><b>Main Points<\/b><\/p>\n<ul class=\"c-unordered-list \">\n<li class=\"c-list-item \">The Government\u2019s long-awaited\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.irishtimes.com\/tags\/housing-crisis\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/www.irishtimes.com\/tags\/housing-crisis\/\" target=\"_blank\">housing<\/a>\u00a0plan is being unveiled this morning.<\/li>\n<li class=\"c-list-item \">It comes against a backdrop of a fall in new housing commencements and Opposition predictions that the new strategy will not be radical enough to tackle the crisis.<\/li>\n<li class=\"c-list-item \">With the Coalition pledging to deliver more than 300,000 homes by 2030, Minister for Housing\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.irishtimes.com\/tags\/james-browne\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/www.irishtimes.com\/tags\/james-browne\" target=\"_blank\">James Browne<\/a>\u00a0has advised aspiring homeowners to\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.irishtimes.com\/ireland\/housing-planning\/2025\/11\/12\/new-housing-plan-will-reduce-states-homelessness-figures-says-browne\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/www.irishtimes.com\/ireland\/housing-planning\/2025\/11\/12\/new-housing-plan-will-reduce-states-homelessness-figures-says-browne\/\" target=\"_blank\">\u201chang in there\u201d<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Sarah Burns &#8211; 30 minutes ago<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \"><b>New housing plan is high on political posturing but low on credibility, says Independent Ireland TD <\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">Independent Ireland TD Ken O\u2019Flynn has said the Government\u2019s new national housing plan is \u201chigh on political posturing but low on credibility\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">The Cork North-Central TD said the plan\u2019s aim to deliver 12,000 social homes per year will not bring about \u201cmeaningful change as there are already 13,000 people on waiting lists with the numbers rising at unprecedented rates\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">\u201cWhat we will see today is ministers trotted out to laud the new plan as some kind of eureka moment from Government; a sign that they have finally realised they need to get serious about the depth of this crisis,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">\u201cThe reality is however that there is no indication from past experience that this new plan will ramp up delivery.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" data-chromatic=\"ignore\" alt=\"Independent Ireland TD Ken O&#x2019;Flynn (right) has said there is no indication from past experience that the new plan will ramp up delivery. Photograph: Sam Boal\/Collins Photos \" class=\"c-image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ZAM7E52ABMETZFKVH3AS6XHKXI.JPG\"   width=\"800\" height=\"533\"\/>Independent Ireland TD Ken O\u2019Flynn (right) has said there is no indication from past experience that the new plan will ramp up delivery. Photograph: Sam Boal\/Collins Photos  <\/p>\n<p>Sarah Burns &#8211; 39 minutes ago<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \"><b>Taoiseach defends removal of annual housing targets <\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">Taoiseach Miche\u00e1l Martin has defended the removal of annual housing targets, saying that any time the State met its annual targets it was criticised for setting them too low. <\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">\u201cWe will be held accountable for results,\u201d he told reporters at this morning\u2019s launch. <\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \"><b>Ellen Coyne<\/b> reports that when asked about a second legal challenge against the greater Dublin drainage scheme, Mr Martin said it was a project \u201cthat cannot wait.\u201d <\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">He said that a \u201clegislative response to critical infrastructure\u201d will come to Cabinet in the coming weeks. <\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" data-chromatic=\"ignore\" alt=\"Taoiseach Miche&#xE1;l Martin has said the Government will be held accountable for results. Photograph: Cillian Sherlock\/PA Wire\" class=\"c-image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/6PUOHD3FVRDN5DUB5SLB4ICDOU\"   width=\"800\" height=\"599\"\/>Taoiseach Miche\u00e1l Martin has said the Government will be held accountable for results. Photograph: Cillian Sherlock\/PA Wire <\/p>\n<p>Sarah Burns &#8211; 46 minutes ago<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \"><b>People facing homelessness will judge new plan by results, says Focus Ireland<\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">Focus Ireland has welcomed the Government\u2019s new strategy to tackle homelessness but warned that, \u201cafter years of missed targets and rising homelessness, people facing homelessness will judge the plan by results\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">Focus Ireland said that a number of the \u201cevidence-based policies\u201d it has been arguing for over many years are reflected in the new plan.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">Pat Dennigan, chief executive of Focus Ireland, said: \u201cFocus Ireland are fully committed to working with the Minister, the Department and local Government to deliver the aspirations that he has set out, but we will remain true to Sr Stan\u2019s legacy by insisting that soft words are followed by decisive action .\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">In particular, Focus Ireland noted commitments on child and family homelessness, including a dedicated fund for 2026 of \u20ac100 million to move families and children out of long-term homelessness. <\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" data-chromatic=\"ignore\" alt=\"Pat Dennigan, chief executive of Focus Ireland, speaking at Focus Ireland coffee shop in Temple Bar, Dublin, earlier this month. &#10;Photograph: Dara Mac D&#xF3;naill \/ The Irish Times&#10;&#10;&#10;&#10;&#10;&#10;&#10;&#10;&#10;&#10;&#10;&#10;&#10;\" class=\"c-image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/YXOVC3DDINBXDPA7MZYRY24XIA.jpg\"   width=\"800\" height=\"533\"\/>Pat Dennigan, chief executive of Focus Ireland, speaking at Focus Ireland coffee shop in Temple Bar, Dublin, earlier this month.<br \/>\nPhotograph: Dara Mac D\u00f3naill \/ The Irish Times<\/p>\n<p>Sarah Burns &#8211; 48 minutes ago<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">T\u00e1naiste Simon Harris has said the \u20ac100 million fund to buy properties to help families move out of homelessness for 2026 \u201cis something that will need to be repeated each year during the lifetime of the plan.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \"><b>Ellen Coyne<\/b> reports that the Minister for Housing James Browne is not able to say how many children the Government expects the fund to lift out of homelessness in 2026. <\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">Mr Browne says the number of children in homelessness will be \u201cvery clearly reported\u201d. <\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \"><b>\u2018New plan recognises that we are in a housing crisis,\u2019<\/b><b> says H<\/b><b>ousing M<\/b><b>inister<\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">Minister for Housing James Browne has said the plan published today recognises that \u201cwe are in a housing crisis,\u201d and it\u2019s a crisis that he treats as an emergency. <\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \"><b>Ellen Coyne<\/b> reports that he wants people to be able to live in their own communities. <\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">Mr Browne says he wants to shift the dial, \u201cso that we not only ramp up supply, but any time spent in emergency accommodation, homelessness, or precarious living conditions are just that, emergency and temporary in nature\u201d.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" data-chromatic=\"ignore\" alt=\"Minister for Housing James Browne said the new plan recognises we are in a housing crisis. Photograph: Sam Boal\/Collins Photos \" class=\"c-image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/NNCNOHLAOZ7B6NUXGPM6TGMTMA.JPG\"   width=\"800\" height=\"533\"\/>Minister for Housing James Browne said the new plan recognises we are in a housing crisis. Photograph: Sam Boal\/Collins Photos  <\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">Elsewhere, People Before Profit TD Richard Boyd Barrett has described the Government\u2019s new housing plan as \u201cfantastical\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \"><b>Vivienne Clarke<\/b> reports that he told RT\u00c9\u2019s Today with David McCullough show that it was the same as previous plans. <\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">\u201cIt is fantastical because it\u2019s based on a hope that if you incentivise private speculators and developers, builders enough, you will hope they will build, but the State itself has very little control over what is actually built,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">\u201cThat\u2019s even true of the social and affordable housing targets, which are slightly increased. But most of that, certainly going on previous experience, and I suspect will be the same, they\u2019re hoping they will get from private developers a portion of what they build. And if they don\u2019t build, we don\u2019t get it. <\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">\u201cIf you actually look at local authority housing and what\u2019s been built, it\u2019s only been about 3,000 houses a year. We have 120,000 people on housing waiting lists and yet for the last eight years there\u2019s been an average of only 3,00 additional local authority houses built. So the State isn\u2019t doing what it should be doing, is building houses itself. <\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">\u201cThat\u2019s why we have been calling for several years for the establishment of a State construction company where the State has its own capacity working with local authorities to build social and affordable housing on their own land. Similarly, they need to do something about rents.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" data-chromatic=\"ignore\" alt=\"People Before Profit&#x2013;Solidarity TD Richard Boyd Barrett speaking to the media at Leinster House. Photograph: SAM BOAL\/Collins Photos \" class=\"c-image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/AZ3WF3NNMQ5VBJAIHUHMH22ZIY.JPG\"   width=\"800\" height=\"563\"\/>People Before Profit\u2013Solidarity TD Richard Boyd Barrett speaking to the media at Leinster House. Photograph: SAM BOAL\/Collins Photos  <\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \"><b>Government needs \u2018no-nonsense approach\u2019 to bureaucracy, says Simon Harris <\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">T\u00e1naiste Simon Harris said the Government now needs a \u201cno-nonsense\u201d approach to bureaucracy and that a judicial review \u201cis not just a natural extension of the planning process\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">\u201cThe challenge is now speeding up delivery, and therefore we have to have a no-nonsense approach to bureaucracy, red tape, gates, stages, hoops \u2013 you don\u2019t have that in a national emergency,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" data-chromatic=\"ignore\" alt=\"T&#xE1;naiste Simon Harris: 'the challenge is now speeding up delivery.' Photograph: Conor O'Mearain\/PA Wire \" class=\"c-image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/AV3HJJHAPNVS2N55TOGBR7RBUE.jpg\"   width=\"800\" height=\"1200\"\/>T\u00e1naiste Simon Harris: &#8216;the challenge is now speeding up delivery.&#8217; Photograph: Conor O&#8217;Mearain\/PA Wire  <\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \"><b>Taoiseach says it is a time for boldness <\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">Taoiseach Miche\u00e1l Martin has said the housing issue is being felt \u201cacross our entire society\u201d. <\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">\u201cFrom those experiencing it most acutely through homelessness to those who are simply losing hope that they will ever enjoy a home of their own,\u201d he said at this morning\u2019s launch in Dublin 8. <\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \"><b>Ellen Coyne <\/b>reports that Mr Martin said this is a time for \u201cboldness\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">\u201cWe have the right measures now in place, combined with the biggest investment in our history, we have a particular opportunity now to address our housing challenge,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">\u201cThis combination of reforms and the scale of investment places Ireland at the forefront within Europe and most western economies in tackling an issue which has afflicted many countries over the past 20 years.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" data-chromatic=\"ignore\" alt=\"Taoiseach Miche&#xE1;l Martin, T&#xE1;naiste Simon Harris and Minister for Housing James Browne at the launch of the new housing plan. Photograph: Dara MacDonaill\/The Irish Times  \" class=\"c-image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/4L2SB5MPPRBGBKJ3LJJXS2GZYU.jpeg\"   width=\"800\" height=\"533\"\/>Taoiseach Miche\u00e1l Martin, T\u00e1naiste Simon Harris and Minister for Housing James Browne at the launch of the new housing plan. Photograph: Dara MacDonaill\/The Irish Times   <\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \"><b>\u2018It is impossible to go from delivering 20,000 new homes a year to 60,000\u2019 &#8211; former housing minister <\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">Minister for Transport, Climate, Environment and Energy Darragh O\u2019Brien has said it was important to ensure that \u201call the agencies of the State are pointing in the same direction\u201d when it comes to delivering new homes.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">Speaking on Newstalk Breakfast, Mr O\u2019Brien, who James Browne succeeded as Minister for Housing, said \u201cdeliverability\u201d was key and that it was impossible to go from delivering 20,000 new homes a year to 60,000 new homes per year.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">When asked about the different responses from various local authorities, the Minister said: \u201cwe need to make sure that all the agencies of the State are pointing in the same direction.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">The Government makes policy, but it was up to the agencies of the State to implement those policies, he added.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">Mr O\u2019Brien said he was confident that the new housing plan would accelerate delivery of new homes. <\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" data-chromatic=\"ignore\" alt=\"Darragh O&#x2019;Brien: 'we need to make sure that all the agencies of the State are pointing in the same direction.' Photograph: Dan Dennison\/The Irish Times\" class=\"c-image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/2RM5EJYIZBBBHDXH7MCV2SP47M.jpg\"   width=\"800\" height=\"533\"\/>Darragh O\u2019Brien: &#8216;we need to make sure that all the agencies of the State are pointing in the same direction.&#8217; Photograph: Dan Dennison\/The Irish Times <\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">Ahead of the publication of the plan, Minister for Housing James Browne yesterday advised aspiring homeowners to \u201chang in there\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">He said the aim of the plan was to deliver a \u201creal shift in how we get housing moving in this country\u201d, while also having a strong focus on family and child homelessness.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">You can read his <a href=\"https:\/\/www.irishtimes.com\/ireland\/housing-planning\/2025\/11\/12\/new-housing-plan-will-reduce-states-homelessness-figures-says-browne\/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/www.irishtimes.com\/ireland\/housing-planning\/2025\/11\/12\/new-housing-plan-will-reduce-states-homelessness-figures-says-browne\/\">comments from the launch of the Simon Communities of Ireland\u2018s annual report for 2024 here<\/a>. <\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">Good morning. The Minister for Housing, James Browne, will this morning publish the long-awaited new housing plan, Delivering Homes, Building Communities. It will be the fourth housing plan in 12 years as successive governments have grappled with the housing crisis. <\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">Ministers and the Government\u2019s leaders have assembled at St Theresa\u2019s Gardens, in Dublin\u2019s inner city, to announce the details. <\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph free \">Follow <a href=\"https:\/\/www.irishtimes.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer nofollow noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/www.irishtimes.com\/\">irishtimes.com<\/a> for updates throughout the day. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Main Points The Government\u2019s long-awaited\u00a0housing\u00a0plan is being unveiled this morning. It comes against a backdrop of a fall&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":178350,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[9,10,18,13,14,6,24081,8752,21681,19,17,40168,4770,11,12,15,16,5,7,8],"class_list":{"0":"post-178349","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-headlines","8":"tag-breaking-news","9":"tag-breakingnews","10":"tag-eire","11":"tag-featured-news","12":"tag-featurednews","13":"tag-headlines","14":"tag-homeless-crisis","15":"tag-housing-crisis","16":"tag-housing-demand","17":"tag-ie","18":"tag-ireland","19":"tag-ireland-strategic-investment-fund","20":"tag-james-browne","21":"tag-latest-news","22":"tag-latestnews","23":"tag-main-news","24":"tag-mainnews","25":"tag-news","26":"tag-top-stories","27":"tag-topstories"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@ie\/115542110315081268","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/178349","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=178349"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/178349\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/178350"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=178349"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=178349"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=178349"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}