Government appoints €430k housing tsar — but is the plan already causing friction within the coalition?

The government’s new Housing Activation Office is meant to unlock development — but it's already rattling Cabinet unity

Brendan McDonagh is set to oversee a group of experts from across the housing sector who will work together to ensure that housebuilding isn't delayed by things like water connections or infrastructure. He will also keep his €430,000 a year salary, which has become a talking point. File photo:RollingNews.ie

Boots on the ground. Kicking in doors. Unblocking blockages.

The Housing Activation Office is here and it is ready to get things done. Not that things haven't been done up to this point, of course. Just look at the housing completions. Just don't look too closely or compare the actual figures to the ones promised by senior members of the coalition towards the end of last year.