Plan over development waiver to be brought to Cabinet

Minister for Housing Darragh O’Brien will bring plans to extend the waiver on development levies and the water connection rebate to Cabinet next week.

Speaking on the way into the Irish Home Builders’ Association Housebuilding Summit, Mr O’Brien said that plans to Help to Buy and First Home Bridge the Gap scheme for five years was “pretty much approved” at a Cabinet sub committee meeting yesterday afternoon, and it would also go to Cabinet “within the next two weeks, more than likely next week”.

Mr O’Brien said that he got approval at yesterday’s meeting to provide an additional €40 million to the First Home Bridge the Gap Scheme, a figure that will be matched by the banks.

The minister said that he would set new housing targets for the rest of the decade in the autumn, upon receipt of a population report by the ESRI.

“With increased targets, we will need an increased amount of land to build on, so you can expect that I will be asking and demanding of local authorities to zone further land, that will happen in the coming weeks,” Mr O’Brien said.

Mr O’Brien also told delegates that “come hell or high water” the Planning and Development Bill will pass the Houses of the Oireachtas before the summer recess.

Conor O’Connell, Director of Housing and Planning with the Construction Industry Federation and Director of Irish Home Builders’ Association, welcomed the target of 50,000 homes a year proposed by Taoiseach Simon Harris.

Mr O’Connell said that it could be “once enough land is zoned, serviced in the right locations and with the necessary planning permissions in place.”

“Cost stability is also a key factor in ensuring viability and affordability of housing,” he said.