Irish government announces plan to build 300,000 homes within five years | Ireland

The Irish government has announced a long-awaited plan to solve Ireland’s severe housing shortage by building 300,000 new homes within five years.

It plans to increase supply and increase support for vulnerable groups by increasing construction capacity and the amount of land zoned and serviced, according to proposals published on Thursday.

Housing minister James Browne said the drive to build 300,000 homes, including 72,000 social homes, by 2030 was “ambitious but also realistic”.

But critics said the proposals did not address the causes of the crisis and removing annual targets for housing delivery was an admission of failure.

Despite continued population growth, new home construction declined following the economic crash of 2008; This led to a shortage of affordable housing that has dogged successive governments and fueled unrest.

The plan commits €28.2bn (£25bn) of government funding to housing, including €12.2bn (£10.8bn) for water and wastewater services and €3.5bn (£3.1bn) for the electricity grid. Browne said the additional money would go into an infrastructure fund and a “housing activation office” to eliminate bottlenecks.

The government wants to turn more empty shops and properties into homes, providing funding of up to €140,000 (£124,000) per property. Derelict homes will be restored with the Vacant Property Regeneration Grant.

The plan will offer housing and special supports to the homeless, elderly, disabled and other vulnerable groups.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin said housing was a “defining issue”. Representative Simon Harris called it a national emergency. He said it’s not about money but about speeding up delivery and removing bottlenecks.

Critics described the plan as a disappointment that would repeat the mistakes of previous housing ministers.

“The emperor has no clothes,” said Eoin Ó Broin, housing spokesman for the main opposition party Sinn Féin. “This is not a new housing scheme. This is a reheated and repackaged version of the failed Darragh O’Brien housing scheme.”

He accused the government of ignoring the underlying causes and underestimating the overall housing need, adding: “The idea that 50,000 new homes a year will solve the housing crisis is simply not true.”

Ó Broin said the government expected failure by canceling annual targets. “They’re essentially saying they knew they wouldn’t be able to meet them and wanted to avoid due scrutiny from the opposition.”

Stakeholders gave a mixed response. The Irish Congress of Trade Unions called the plan “old wine in a new bottle”. The Irish Planning Institute said news to increase housing supply would be welcomed. “But we must also recognize that it will take time for our housing delivery system to get from where we are now to where we need to be.”