Councils set to be ranked in 'league table' on home building success
Housing Minister James Browne will also seek approval to slash red tape on the process to secure funding to build houses, reducing it from four steps to one. The twin-track move will pressure councils to deliver housing themselves, in a bid to tackle the most pressing political issue facing the Government.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin recently criticised local authorities for not doing enough to help fix the housing crisis. It is intended that the league table will give a better snapshot of delivery across the sector, particularly on new builds by local councils countrywide. Taoiseach Micheál Martin. Pic: Simon Wohlfahrt/Bloomberg via Getty Images
The Cabinet will consider two sets of data – local authorities delivering above their social housing targets through both construction and buying properties, and councils' records of delivery through the construction of social housing on State land.
Many councils are delivering well when the leasing, buying and building of properties are included. Laois delivered 194% of its delivery target across all of the metrics between 2022 and 2024, by building 670 units against a target of 359. However, a separate table will be published on council 'own builds'.
No council has delivered above 45% of its own build targets. Overall, councils only delivered 18% of their own-build targets between 2022 and 2024. Kildare County Council delivered 3% of its target by building 34 units, compared to a target of 1,179 over a three-year period. The Cabinet is expected to sign off on plans to create a 'league table' ranking councils on their delivery of new homes today. Pic: File
Government sources stressed data is nuanced, with different challenges facing different councils. Mr Browne is keen to see councils do more direct building instead of competing against private bidders for turnkey properties.
Sources pointed out that councils across the country are outbidding potential buyers. The Minister is keen to see an end to this practice by having councils build their own homes. Sources said the release of this data is aimed at ensuring and increasing 'transparency and accountability'.
The Programme for Government commits to continuing to roll out the largest social housing programme in history, building around 12,000 new social homes per year. The Minister pulled together local authority chief executives, planners and heads of services in early June for a 'housing summit' in Dublin. Housing Minister James Browne. Pic: Sam Boal/Collins Photos
It is understood Mr Browne indicated his ambitions for serious 'scaling up' in delivery from authorities – and a commitment to remove barriers, like the four-stage process, which local authorities have flagged as an issue.
Mr Browne will also secure Cabinet approval for 'reducing dramatically' bureaucracy from an approvals perspective. Mr Browne has cut the four-stage process down to a single-stage process, to eliminate what sources have said are 'often significant delays' in getting projects ready to be built.
The Government acknowledged that the four-stage process is a 'frustration' for local authorities. At the moment, own-build new social housing projects are advanced mainly by local authorities under this four-stage process, aligned with the requirements of the Capital Works Management Framework (CWMF).
Mr Browne has identified the need for 'standardisation' of house types and specifications. There is also a focus from the Department on encouraging 'modern methods of construction'. New arrangements will become operational later this year.
The Minister will mandate the use of specific design layouts and specifications, as per the Department of Housing's Design Manual for Quality Housing, for all new-build social housing.
Sources said the Minister has said that since taking up his position, there is a 'drastic need' for more efficiency in delivering social homes at pace, and has long indicated a desire to streamline the process, which was seen as being excessively bureaucratic.
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