Darragh O’Brien | Business Post

Green light for €450m state scheme subsidising private apartments

The Croí Cónaithe Cities scheme will provide builders with between €25,000 and €144,000 per unit

Business Post's View

Editorial: Government needs to prove it can respond to the housing crisis

The Minister for Housing is promising an overhaul of the planning process and a new Bord Pleanála, but he needs to ensure that this is not merely a rejigging and rebranding of the current system

Darragh O’Brien: new planning laws will bring confidence and transparency

Landmark bill aims to create a faster and more effective planning system after controversy and criticism of current rules

Darragh O’Brien hails Housing for All beating targets but says new measures may be needed

New figures show almost 30,000 new homes were built in 2022, more than 5,000 above the government’s target

Analysis: Celtic Tiger defects scheme will cover homeowners who already paid for repairs

The government felt it could not compensate one group of apartment owners, while leaving another group with nothing

State to pay up to €2.5bn as 100% redress approved for Celtic Tiger era defective buildings

It is estimated as many as 100,000 apartments and duplexes are affected by problems such as serious fire safety issues

A house divided: tensions emerge between FF and FG as Varadkar hones in on housing

All parties understand that housing will be the number one issue in the next election – and the new Taoiseach has already made several housing-related decisions his coalition partners do not agree with

Tax breaks for developers being considered to activate 70,000 idle planning permissions

Taoiseach says government also looking at giving builders guaranteed price to encourage construction

'First come, first served’ for new affordable homes in Wicklow

Some 36 affordable homes in Wicklow will be snapped up by bidders nationwide as Minister for Housing Darragh O’Brien says only 30 per cent will be reserved for locals

Blow to government plans as number of new homes built drops

Analysis shows number of properties being completed on a rolling 12-month basis fell to 27,000 at end of November, compared to 30,500 this time last year

State to make emergency accommodation costs available to worst-hit mica families

Department of Housing to give homeowners in worst situations access to €15k, following Business Post report on families in houses severely damaged by defective blocks

Planning system set for radical overhaul under new legislation

Consolidated Planning Bill aims to speed up An Bord Pleanála process and reduce the number of judicial review challenges

Housing Minister warned of risk in replacing Bord Pleanála members

Irish Planning Institute raises concern over future technical and environmental expertise at troubled organisation

Number of new house builds falls by 14 per cent over the last year

Details of slowdown come as it was also revealed that the Department of Housing spent €452m less than forecast on capital projects, such as housebuilding, up to the end of October

An Bord Pleanála chairman Dave Walsh resigns on ‘personal grounds’

It comes following months of controversy at the planning body

Minister sees modular homes as part of solution to housing crisis

Darragh O’Brien says use of model to house Ukrainian refugees will increase confidence in quality of such buildings

Bartra complains to Housing Minister over Dublin council’s rate of planning refusals

The property developer also accused the planning regulator of ‘comparing apples with oranges’ after it pointed out that South Dublin County Council had approved 88% of all planning applications last year

Unions push for date on referendum to ensure Irish Water is not privatised

The issue is a key one for water service employees who fear they could lose their rights as public sector workers

Government considers plan to buy dormant housing projects

Buying developments which have planning permission but have not been commenced would release over 17,000 homes for cost rental housing

Does Generation Rent finally have the politicians on its side?

As Fine Gael agrees to implement opposition policies such as an eviction ban and renter’s tax credit to avoid a winter homeless disaster, the political balance may be gradually shifting away from landlords to renters