Government's order to zone more land for housing may not lead to surge in construction

Cabinet meeting also considered other measures focused on housing including more funds for social homes, and possible planning exemptions for cabins in people’s gardens

The National Planning Framework, published in April, outlines that 5% of development should be targeted at five cities — Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway, and Waterford. Picture: iStock

At the final Cabinet meeting before the Government heads off on its summer break, there was a slew of housing proposals brought forward.

Alongside more funds being provided to build social homes, and consultation beginning on planning exemptions for cabins in people’s back gardens, there was an instruction to local councils to begin zoning more land for housing.

But what does this instruction mean, and what will its impact be on Ireland’s housing crisis?

What has the Government done?

It has essentially told all of Ireland’s local councils to go and reopen their existing development plans, with an explicit call for more land to be zoned for housing.

Housing minister James Browne signalled his intention to do this as far back as April, saying that councils should complete their rezoning efforts by the end of the year.

“I don’t see any reason why we won’t be able to access this land by the end of the year,” Mr Browne said then.

“The local authorities can do it quite quickly, and I expect to see local authorities move with the urgency that I’m moving with, and that the people who will be watching this expect the urgency, so we can deliver those homes that we need.”

How much land is the Government looking to be zoned?

The guidelines published call for enough land to be zoned to allow for 55,000 homes per year.

However, additional headroom for 50% is also provided, meaning that land for up to 83,000 homes is permitted to be zoned each year.

Where is the Government targeting its development?

The National Planning Framework, published in April, outlines that 50% of development should be targeted within Ireland’s five largest cities — Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway, and Waterford — while the remaining 50% of development should occur in towns, villages and rural areas around the country.

Are there individual targets for each council?

Yes. This is because each individual council needs different levels of land to be zoned.

For example, cities such as Dublin and Cork will require an increased level of zoned land compared to more rural counties such as Roscommon and Carlow.

At Dublin City Council, the Government will permit the local authority zone enough land to build up to 8,196 houses per year.

More rural areas have much lower requirements, with the requirement to zone land just enough to build 201 houses in Leitrim per year.

Any more specific instructions for councils?

Yes. In urban areas, the councils will be asked to prioritise development on brownfield sites in towns and cities, in an attempt to avoid urban sprawl into the countryside.

Does this mean 83,000 houses will be built each year?

While local authorities will be permitted to zone significantly more housing, it does not mean there’s going to be a massive uplift in construction. The Government’s own National Planning Framework sets out the overall target for housing delivery as 303,000 houses between 2025 and 2030.

This means an average of 50,500 houses will need to be built each year, far below the 83,000 maximum that can be zoned each year.

The highest level of housebuilding in recent years came in 2006, when over 86,000 houses were built.

This would be a significant leap from where the State is at present, with 30,300 being built in 2024.