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Irish Independent
2 days ago
- Business
- Irish Independent
County Mayo short 90 homes as social housing targets missed by 23%
The statistics, released by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, show that of a target of 395 houses, only 304 were built. The issue was raised by Cllr Michael Kilcoyne at the last meeting of Mayo County Council where he questioned management on the shortfall. 'You achieved 77% of the target in a county where we have over 200 people in emergency accommodation. I think it's a reasonable question to ask, why did you miss the target by so much?' His question was aimed at the Director of Services Tom Gilligan, who stated that Mayo County Council did deliver on its targets. However, the shortfall arose in contributions from the Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs). Under the Housing For All plan, local authorities are responsible for 60pc of new-build social houses, while AHBs are responsible for the remaining 40pc. Housing can be built directly by a local authority or an AHB, alternatively it can be delivered through turnkey, the purchasing of new housing units from private developers. 'In Mayo our target was 395 houses. The council itself, and through turnkey, delivered 63% of that, a total of 250. The AHB sector for that three-year period delivered 38 units, and 16 units were delivered through part five,' said Mr Gilligan Part five refers to a part of the planning legislation that allows local authorities to purchase a percentage of land for housing development where planning permission has already been granted. They can purchase up to 20pc of the land at market value and use it to deliver social and affordable housing. Mr Gilligan continued, 'The reality is that in the last three years or so, the council itself delivered. The AHBs did not deliver. I've raised this on numerous occasions, outlined it to the members, and I've also raised it with the department. Unfortunately we have a very low level of activity here in relation to AHBs.' In response to this, Cllr Kilcoyne said: 'Over the three-year period, the number of houses - whether it was the man on the moon, Santa Claus, the council or the AHBs who built them - were 90 short.' Speaking to the Irish Independent after the meeting, Cllr Kilcoyne expanded on this remark: 'I don't need excuses, I just want it corrected and done. It seems to me the local authority always has somebody else to blame except themselves. Management in Mayo County Council always puts forward whatever is necessary to avoid taking the blame, 'I regard the excuse given as a flimsy excuse. The fact is, the management of Mayo County Council, for whatever reason, missed their target by 90 houses. You can blame everybody else, the storm, Christmas, the weather, or the man on the moon. At the end of the day they are the housing authority.' The Irish Independent also spoke to Mr Gilligan after the meeting. He reiterated that the council is responsible for 60pc of new-build social houses, they delivered 63pc of their target, and 77pc of the overall target was achieved. 'Unfortunately, the delivery levels in Mayo by the AHB sector have not yet reached the scale required to meet our ambitious housing targets. We remain committed to achieving our targets overall and working with various stakeholders in order for that to happen,' he said. Mr Gilligan pointed out that western counties are not attracting the same attention from large-scale AHBs as those on the east coast, 'As regards the large AHBs, they have concentrated on the urban centres and the larger local authorities, particularly on the east coast. I would say it's a situation where the population demand is higher, the economies are of scale, developments are viable and there is greater access to infrastructure services, 'Rural and regional areas like Mayo, Sligo and Leitrim often fall outside their core delivery focus, which is regrettable.' The statistics show that in Sligo, 55pc of its 270 house target was met. Of the 149 houses that were built, 29 were delivered by AHBs. Meaning they produced only 19pc of their 40pc build target. In contrast, Meath had a target of 832 houses but built 1,405, achieving 168pc of its target. Of these, AHBs produced 682 houses. In Laois, the target was 359 houses, but 670 were built, smashing the target by 187pc. AHBs produced 395 of these houses in Laois. For comparison, Mayo's overall target for 2022-2024 was also 395. Mr Gilligan raised the issue with the Department for Housing, he said that it has been acknowledged by them, 'I'm hopeful that as part of the new Housing For All plan that will be coming out in September, there will be more emphasis on the larger AHBs and they will develop and build more houses here in the west of Ireland, 'There is a huge need here, we have the same housing crisis as the rest of the country.' He noted that housing bodies Tuath and Co-Operative Housing Ireland are working on projects in the county, but mentioned it would be great to get other large-scale AHBs such as Respond and Clúid, to turn their attention to Mayo. In response to Cllr Kilcoyne's criticism that the council was placing blame elsewhere, and his description of the AHBs explanation as a "flimsy excuse', Mr Gilligan said: 'I'm not into the blame game myself, it's not about trying to portion blame or demonise anyone in the sector. We really do want to work collaboratively with housing bodies to deliver, 'Cllr Kilcoyne is right, we do have a housing crisis, we do have people on our housing list, we have people who are in emergency accommodation and we want to provide long term sustainable housing for people. We all have to get involved in order to make that happen, 'If you look in relation to a tripod, we are one leg of that. We need the other two legs as well. The AHBs and part five.' In county Leitrim, AHBs produced zero houses between 2022 - 2024, but the county still managed 98pc of its 82 house target. Leitrim County Council built 73 houses meeting 89pc of the 60pc target. The remaining seven houses were delivered through part five. Cllr Kilcoyne called on Mayo County Council to take responsibility for housing delivery. The statistics from Leitrim suggest their council took on the responsibility Cllr Kilcoyne believes is needed in Mayo.
Irish Independent
09-07-2025
- Business
- Irish Independent
Cairn Homes boss says revised apartment rules will mean lower prices for buyers
units, fewer windows, and less communal space. Michael Stanley, the company's CEO, said that as Ireland's 'most active apartment builder', it welcomed the changes introduced by Housing Minister James Browne and said that the new regulations would reduce building costs. 'These guideline changes will also lower selling prices for future Croí Cónaithe developments and Local Authority Affordable Purchase Schemes,' Mr Stanley insisted. The Government has agreed that about 50,000 apartments in developments that have planning permission, but which are not started, can be completed using the new guidelines. 'We plan to submit revised designs and prioritise projects for our Affordable Housing Body (AHB) customers,' Mr Stanley said. 'When amendments are approved by planning authorities, we will pass on the significant cost savings to our AHB customers, which should in turn reduce affordable rents for new cost-rental apartments.' The Cairn boss said that the new guidelines, which mean that developers no longer have to offer the same mix of unit type and size in apartment blocks, will reduce the selling price for units in the local authority affordable purchase schemes, and in Croi Conaithe, the Government ADVERTISEMENT Learn more initiative to support the building of apartments for sale to private owners. Shares in Cairn Homes rose on Wednesday after it reiterated its full-year guidance and said it continues to see strong demand from first-time buyers. The homebuilder said in a trading update that it generated revenue of €280m in the first six months of the year from the sale of approximately 700 units. That compared to revenue of €366.1m from 894 units in the first half of 2024. The company's trading is traditionally weighted towards the second half of the year. It added that its 'significant investment' in scaled construction activity in the first six months of 2025 will support its performance for the remainder of the year. Cairn said that it had seen strong private sales in the first half of the year. It increased its multi-year closed and forward order book to about 3,700 new homes, with a net sales value of roughly €1.4bn. The company launched eight new schemes across Dublin, Kildare, Meath, Cork and Galway in the period, with strong demand witnessed from it core first-time buyer market. The performance comes amid a backdrop of a continued housing shortage that is set to persist for years to come. 'We have witnessed exceptional demand in the year to date, including in our numerous private sales launches in this spring and early summer sales season,' said chief executive Michael Stanley. 'We were also encouraged to see such strong support for our first Croí Cónaithe development in Cork, from first-time buyers seeking affordable private ownership of apartments,' he added. Mr Stanley noted that this week the government has announced amendments that will permit smaller apartments and relax rules on internal space, dual aspect ratios, ceiling heights and other design elements. As Ireland's most active apartment builder, we welcome this initiative, which will reduce build costs,' said Mr Stanley. 'These guideline changes will also lower selling prices for future Croí Cónaithe developments and Local Authority Affordable Purchase Schemes,' Mr Stanley insisted. Cairn Homes is predicting that it will generate revenue growth of more than 10pc this year and generate an operating profit of around €160m.
The Journal
17-06-2025
- Politics
- The Journal
'I like dogs': Healy-Rae says minister can't tell property owners to allow tenants have pets
IT WOULD NOT be appropriate for the housing minister to tell property owners that their tenancy agreements should include allowing renters have pets, according to Minister of State with responsibility for Forestry, Michael Healy-Rae. Fianna Fáil Senator Teresa Costello told the Seanad today that she has been contacted many times by people who are 'deeply torn' when they receive an offer of housing only to be told that it is on the condition that they do not bring their pet. 'Pets are an integral part of the family and people should not be faced with the decision to surrender them or refuse an offer,' she said. 'While there is a need for certain restrictions, it is imperative that we revise and review policies to develop guidelines that balance the needs of tenants with the welfare of the community,' said Costello, who added that there must be fair, clear, concise and consistent rules across local authorities and housing bodies. 'I like meeting dogs' Healy-Rae, who was taking questions on behalf of the housing minister today, said: 'I am a big follower of dogs, in particular, I really like dogs and I like meeting dogs, so I thank the Senator for this because it is an important issue… while the distress that pet owners find themselves in when searching for appropriate accommodation for both themselves and their pets in both private and social housing settings is understood, the needs and concerns of landlords and other tenants must also be considered'. He went on to state that it 'would not be appropriate for the Minister to direct individual property owners as to what a tenancy policy should be'. The Kerry TD's entry in the Dail Register of Members' Interests describes himself as an owner of rental properties and his entry lists 17 separate properties for letting, including 14 houses. Advertisement The minister suggested in the Seanad today that an open and productive dialogue between the property owners, the tenants and their representative associations, regardless of the tenure type, should take place on the matter of pets. 'The majority of people love animals – they love their pets. Of course, we have to weigh that up against the whole issue of when accommodation is provided, it is hard for a person to say, in the current climate, that they cannot take a house because they cannot take their pet. 'People would be thinking the person was negligent on behalf of themselves and their family that they were more worried about the pet. Only people who would not have a fondness for animals might not understand it, but other people would,' added the Kerry TD. No law preventing renters having pets He said the department is not aware of any sector-wide policy which precludes AHB tenants from keeping pets, adding that the residential tenancies Acts from 2004 to 2022 make no reference to animals. 'As such, there is nothing in legislation that prevents AHB tenants from keeping pets,' said the minister. While he said some renters might want pets, not all residents, particularly in multi-unit developments, might be comfortable with the presence of pets. 'Their needs should also be considered,' said Healy-Rae. 'It would not be appropriate for the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to set out tenancy policies of individual AHBs and their property rules,' said the minister. While the senator said she understood the minister's position, Costello said she had 'people bringing the cutest little dogs into my clinic while crying at the thoughts of having to decide whether they give up this little dog who has provided them love and kindness for seven or eight years or take a roof over their heads'. While Costello said she appreciated that there is nothing in legislation preventing tenants from keeping pets, a huge number of houses and properties available refer to a no-pet policy. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
Irish Times
24-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
Almost 2,000 applications for just 20 Dublin cost rental homes
Almost 2,000 people have applied for just 20 cost-rental homes in north Dublin , with applications open for another week. There have been 1,857 applications for 20 one- and two-bedroom apartments built by approved housing body (AHB) Respond at Griffin Point in Clongriffin, Dublin 13 . Applications opened on its website on Tuesday and will remain open until May 30th. Rent for the one-bedroom apartments will be €1,326 per month, while the two-bedroom units are €1,478 per month. READ MORE Griffin Point will have a total of 64 cost-rental homes in its wider 397-unit development when completed in February 2026. Cost-rental homes are designed for people who do not qualify for social housing but have a household net annual income of less than €66,000. [ Ireland's rising rents: 'Our budget would have been €1,300 a month, there isn't even anything listed for that' Opens in new window ] Rents must be 25 per cent lower than regular market rents in the area and are based on the cost of building, managing and maintaining the homes. Tenants also have long-term security, with leases of several years' duration available. The homes are delivered by AHBs, local authorities and the Land Development Agency (LDA) and do not include any profit for a developer. The local authorities and AHBs apply for government funding and grants to help cover the cost of building or buying these homes. The State missed its target for delivery of social homes last year by almost 20 per cent, with just 10,595 new-build social homes delivered, compared with its target of 12,930. Responding to the figures when they were published by the Department of Housing in April, Minister for Housing James Browne acknowledged the completions had fallen short of the targets and pointed to the performance of local authorities. He said he would publish quarterly performance reports that would 'clearly outline' how each local authority is delivering on individual targets for new-build social housing. However, the report found a record level of cost-rental homes were delivered by AHBs last year, seeing the figure more than double to more than 1,200 homes. A total of 3,860 cost-rental homes have been delivered in the State since the scheme was launched.
Irish Independent
07-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Independent
Approved Housing Bodies provided more than half of total cost rental homes in Ireland last year, marking 10pc annual increase
It comes as approximately 5,598 new homes were provided by AHB members in the housing sector in Ireland in 2024, marking a 10pc increase. The Irish Council for Social Housing (ICSH) launched its Housing Association Activity Report 2024, showing that AHB's provided 4,385 new social homes. It also provided 1,213 cost rental homes in 2024, which was 41pc of the total social housing and 56pc of the total cost rental delivery homes in Ireland. ICSH Chief Executive Donal McManus stated: 'For the past number of years, we have been increasing our stock of social and cost rental homes by about 10pc annually.' He noted that more than 60pc of AHB's cost rental output between 2021 to 2024 was achieved in 2024 alone. However, he said last year was a 'challenging year for both public and private housing delivery'. "For 2025 and beyond, it is vital that any obstacles to project approvals or funding bottlenecks are anticipated and removed to ensure the AHB sector can continue its impressive year-on-year delivery with the multi-annual capital funding supports under Housing for All (and its successor). "It is important that any review of housing targets and necessary funding and investment under a revised National Development Plan is in place as soon as possible to ensure project approvals and timely delivery for new social and affordable homes,' he said. Mr McManus said the sector now manages around 2,000 cost rental homes for middle income households. He said this provides rental certainty and security to a growing number of households that have been 'facing the brunt of private rental housing precarity'. "With these impressive numbers in 2024, this new tenure is becoming a substantial component of the housing market, providing the very necessary stability and protection to tenants from market volatility. Both social and affordable housing support a properly functioning housing market',' he said. He stressed that last year proved a more challenging year for the sector's social housing delivery. 'Post-COVID construction cost inflation has been a significant factor here, leading to housing project reassessments and the subsequent impact on project delivery timelines,' he said. "A key recurring issue for ICSH member AHBs is ensuring the CAS housing delivery stream is fit-for-purpose, ensuring the sector's critical role in supporting vulnerable populations, including older people, disabled persons, and homeless households.'
