Cabinet to agree ‘more challenging’ housing targets of 50,000 a year

By Cate McCurry, PA

The Cabinet is set to agree on new housing targets that will see the Government build 50,000 houses a year until 2030.

Minister for Housing Darragh O’Brien said the new targets will be a “significant increase” on previous figures and that charting a path forward on how to achieve them would be key.

The coalition leaders agreed on Monday to build an average of 50,500 homes a year until 2029, reaching around 60,000 in 2030.

The existing targets under Housing for All had set an average of 33,000 homes per annum until 2030.

Senior coalition figures said an agreement on the national planning framework at Cabinet on Tuesday was key on achieving the targets set out.

Taoiseach Simon Harris said: “I am pleased we have an opportunity today to advance the national planning framework.

“It is absolutely key because, without that, you don’t have an ability to scale up the housing supply in the way that it needs to happen.

“I have argued and debated for many weeks that it is so important that this Government sets housing targets for the next five years, and I am very pleased today that Government will agree new housing targets for the next five years.

“I think that is really sensible because it provides certainty to those who wish to build homes and also provides hope to those who wish to own a home.

“You will see in those figures a credibility to effectively double the number of homes that are constructed in this country for the next five years compared to the last five years.”

Tanaiste Micheal Martin said the new targets were “much more challenging” to reach and claimed he would be “wary of” any party which claims it can build above those targets.

Mr Martin added: “Particularly when they want to crucify the first-time buyer as the main opposition party wants to, or indeed undermine the Land Development Agency, which we legislated for in the lifetime of this government.”

Mr O’Brien said it was “crucially important” to show “the pathway forward” on delivering new housing.

He said: “The housing targets are one element of it, but really the important piece is the national planning framework of how we will deliver that, what land requires to be zoned, where those properties are going to be built and how we will move forward between now and the end of the decade.

“I insisted that we get the national planning framework agreed. That will go to Cabinet today.

“I have been able to get agreement with the three leaders on the new housing targets to 2030, which I will bring to Cabinet and show a significant increase in our targets.”

He added: “We’ve worked very hard on our manifesto. I think it is from our standpoint, in Fianna Fáil, we have managed to actually turn the dial and turn the corner on housing delivery, because the state has got back involved.

“This year we’ll invest over five billion euro on housing on behalf of our citizens. Next year will be over six billion, so Fianna Fáil have made a difference in government on housing.

“It’s a portfolio we took on, that we understand, that we feel passionate about, and we will, obviously, in our manifesto be outlining the specific items that we would like to see a focus on.

“A further focus on first-time buyers in particular, a further focus and scaling up our social housing delivery, backing home ownership. We believe in home ownership, we believe is just an honest aspiration for people to have and it should be supported.”