Potential for thousands of new homes in Cork once 'the right conditions are in place'

An Irish construction company has called for land to be made available for 10,000 homes to be built in Cork over the next two to three years.

Fitzpatrick and Heavey Homes, which is developing 17 houses in Cobh, is looking for development land in response to the housing crisis.

Ciaran Fitzpatrick, CEO of the Fitzpatrick and Heavey Group, said that the housing crisis “can only be tackled with urgency, scale, and collaboration”.

“Our company has the capability to commence 10,000 homes across Ireland within the next two to three years, but, to achieve that, we need the right conditions in place,” he said.

“The first priority is land acquisition and zoning.

“Large, well-located landbanks would allow us to keep building without the delays and inefficiencies that come with moving from one small site to another. Alongside this, faster and more predictable planning permission is critical to getting homes under way quickly.

“We also see a central role for the Land Development Agency. The LDA holds significant land and has the ability to bring forward shovel-ready sites.”

Partnering  

Mr Fitzpatrick suggested that “by partnering with private developers like ourselves, they can dramatically accelerate delivery of both social and affordable housing, while reducing the time lost to lengthy planning and procurement processes”.

Mr Fitzpatrick said the group is committed to using local staff, suppliers, and subcontractors: “This keeps skills and jobs in the community, reduces commuting pressures, and provides tradespeople with multi-year certainty, something that makes a real difference to quality of life.”

Vat changes

Mr Fitzpatrick also called for Vat changes for first-time buyers.

“Even a modest adjustment could lower sales prices, support bank financing, and make homeownership genuinely affordable,” said Mr Fitzpatrick.

“In recent projects, we’ve delivered high-quality homes priced around €230,000, and they were snapped up immediately. With the right supports, we can replicate that success across towns and counties nationwide.

“The workforce is not the obstacle. We already have the staff, subcontractors, and international expertise ready to go.

“What we need now is zoned land, planning approvals, infrastructure investment, and fair tax supports."