PRESS STATEMENT

Wednesday, 18th December, 2024

Housing Agency announces Martin Whelan as new CEO

The Housing Agency is pleased to announce that Martin Whelan has been appointed as the new Chief Executive Officer of the Agency and will take up the role on 31st March, 2025.

Mr Whelan will join The Housing Agency from the National Treasury Management Agency (NTMA) where he is currently Head of Group Corporate Affairs and Communications.

Speaking following his appointment, Mr Whelan said: “I have become very familiar with the valuable work of The Housing Agency over an extended period and I see this role as one that is of immense significance to our society – now more than ever.

“Delivering sustainable and affordable housing for everyone in Ireland is rightly seen by so many people throughout Ireland – and by our policymakers – as an overriding priority.

“I look forward to leading the outstanding people in The Housing Agency in working with political, social, industry and other stakeholders to play a major part in achieving that.”

Mr Whelan’s appointment has been welcomed by Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien TD, who said: “I am delighted to welcome Martin to his new role as CEO of The Housing Agency. The organisation provides invaluable support to my department and plays a crucial role in our delivery of much needed housing initiatives. With Martin’s experience and expertise, we look forward to working together and building further on the great work the Agency has already achieved.”

Michael Carey, Chairman of The Housing Agency, said: “Martin is a highly experienced corporate leader with extensive expertise in corporate governance, organisational strategy, and strategic management. Martin also brings considerable experience across corporate affairs, including government, media and public relations, communications and leading stakeholder engagement.

“These roles have also given him significant exposure to major housing policy initiatives in which the NTMA has a role over the past decade, inputting into the strategy of and leading external affairs and stakeholder engagement across the Ireland Strategic Investment Fund’s (ISIF) €1bn housing and enabling infrastructure programme, Home Building Finance Ireland’s (HBFI) €2bn development finance programme, and NAMA’s commercial, residential development, and social housing programmes.”

Mr Whelan has been Head of Group Corporate Affairs and Communications at the NTMA since 2017. He has previously served as a Non-Executive Director at Threshold Ireland.

ENDS

Contact: Breda Heffernan, Communications Manager, The Housing Agency, breda.heffernan@housingagency.ie

Notes to Editors:

About The Housing Agency

The Housing Agency supports the development of sustainable communities across Ireland. It works to meet the nation’s housing needs by:

• Co-ordinating programmes that can transform how we live. 
• Providing technical support to accelerate the delivery of housing projects.
• Using data and research to provide evidence-based solutions.
• Advising the Government on housing policies.
• Collaborating with all those involved in the housing sector in Ireland to ensure we are working as effectively as possible. 

A State-funded body, The Housing Agency works mainly with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, local authorities and non-profit housing providers.

October 

• Budget 2025 was published, which allocated a total of €7.93 billion to housing. €80 million was allocated to the First Home Shared Equity Scheme, €110 million for the Affordable Housing Fund and €90 million for the Secure Tenancy Affordable Rental scheme 

• The Planning and Development Bill was approved by the House of the Oireachtas.  

• The Homeless Report for September 2024 was published and found that 14,760 people were accessing emergency accommodation during the week 23-30 September 2024 

• The Social Housing Construction Projects Status Report for Q2 2024 was published, showing there were 10,465 social homes on site and 16,614 homes at design and tender stage. 

• Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant Statistics were published for Q3 2024. 1,180 applications were received, 1,261 applications were approved, and 336 grants were issued on completion of work.  

• Residential Commencement Notices were published for September 2024, indicating 11,385 homes commenced in the period and 49,007 homes had commenced in the first nine months of 2024. 

November 

• Residential Commencement Notices were published for October 2024, indicating 4,249 homes commenced in the period and 53,256 homes had commenced in the first ten months of 2024. 

• The Homeless Report for October 2024 was published and found that 14,966 people were accessing emergency accommodation during the week 21-27 October 2024. 

• The CSO launched a new platform for information on housing. The Housing Hub has been developed by the CSO to serve as a single source for key housing information using the latest data from the CSO and other public service bodies. 

December 

• The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage published the Energy Performance of Buildings Regulations Technical Guidance 2024 

Relevant publications  

• ICLRD – “InPLACE Investigating Planning, Place-Making, and Community” – 8th October 2024 

• Campbell Tickell – CT Brief Issue 74 – October 2024 

• Dublin Regional Homeless Executive – New families entering emergency accommodation in the Dublin region, years 2020-2023 – 5th November 2024 

• The Housing Agency – Sustainable Compact Development – 6th November 2024 

• WHO – State of long-term care in Ireland – November 2024  

• Campbell Tickell – CT Brief Issue 75 – December 2024 

• ESRI – An assessment of property level rental price growth in Ireland – 5th December 2024 

• AHURI - Lived experience participation and influence in homelessness and housing policy, service design and practice – 5th December 2024  

• Ipsos and HousingLIN – Older People’s Housing Preferences – 10th December 2024.

Over the last two years the staff of the Housing Agency have fundraised and volunteered their time for Community Gain Projects. We are now looking for a partner organisation for 2025.

In 2023, we worked with Prosper Fingal in Skerries, which provides services for adults with an intellectual disability in north Co Dublin, to build a space for their service users to enjoy. This year, we partnered with Avista on the Navan Road, which provides support services for children and adults with disabilities, to renovate seven gardens.

Fundraising has already commenced at The Housing Agency for our 2025 project to take place on July 4th and we are looking for a partner. The location must be within 45 minutes of our offices on Upper Mount Street, Dublin 2, and ideally serviced by public transport from Dublin city centre.

In order to be considered please complete the Proposal Form - link to form here and submit to claire.feeney@housingagency.ie before close of business on the 24th of January 2025.

The Housing for All plan makes provision for innovations to improve, support and accelerate delivery of housing. In support of this strategy, the Housing Agency’s Built Environment Section supplies technical services and supports in the area of modern methods of construction.

The Built Environment Section has updated the guidance document Guide for use of PW-CF2 Public Works Contract for Building Works Designed by the Contractor.

The purpose of this guide is to inform the reader of the procurement options available within the Capital Works Management Framework (CWMF) for enabling Design and Build contracts to facilitate the use of Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) in construction. It is intended that this guide will enable accelerated delivery of housing by Local Authorities and AHBs that are intending to engage in housing construction projects.

This guide is aimed at those who are working with or advising Local Authorities and AHBs who have a working knowledge and experience of procurement of consultants and Design and Build Contractors using the CWMF.

To read the document in full please visit this link: Guide for use of PW-CF2 Public Works Contract for Building Works Designed by the Contractor

The Housing Agency has today November 7th 2024, published the Statement of Strategy 2025 – 2029.

This strategic plan, the first five-year plan published by The Housing Agency and the fifth Statement of Strategy since its establishment in 2012, provides an opportunity to build on the achievements of the Agency’s previous strategies. The Strategic Plan 2025-2029 has been informed by external and internal consultation on the key challenges facing the housing system and how these impact the priorities of the Agency

Over the period of this Strategic Plan, the Agency will continue to work to deliver the homes people need. Our activity will be structured under three themes:

• Theme 1: Being a Centre for Housing Knowledge
• Theme 2: Addressing Housing Supply and Affordability
• Theme 3: Supporting the Creation of Sustainable and Inclusive Communities

You can read The Housing Agency Statement of Strategy 2025 – 2029 here - Statement of Strategy 2025 – 2029

Sustainable Compact Development, International Case Study Analysis is a report prepared for The Housing Agency by Indecon International Economic Consultants.

The purpose of this analysis is to explore how a number of successful compact residential projects were developed and made viable, and to examine the features of these case studies that makes them successful as areas of compact urban growth.

Together with The Housing Agency, four examples of compact urban growth were selected for the case study analysis, from Austria, Denmark, USA and Germany. They are all examples of brownfield development, i.e. developments on sites which were previously purposed for industrial use.

The development process for each site was examined, from the initial inception to the latest developments. This included research on the stakeholders involved in the development, how the development was financed, the obstacles faced in the development process and how these obstacles were overcome, the compact design features of the development, the externalities considered and whether any policy incentives were used to encourage development on the brownfield site. Each of these elements was considered in the context of the wider approach to compact development in the relevant city.

You can read the full report here - Sustainable Compact Development - International Case Study Analysis

The Housing Agency 2024 Annual Conference took place on 7^th November at The Gibson Hotel, Dublin 1. The theme of this year’s conference was AI & Innovation in Housing.

The conference, which was opened by Michael Carey, Chairman of The Housing Agency, brought together practitioners from across the technology and housing sectors and was attended by representatives from Government Departments, State Agencies, Local Government and Approved Housing Bodies as well as the Private Sector.

The conference examined the role of AI & innovation in housing design and delivery and featured the following expert speakers;

• Theo Lynn – Associate Dean for Research, DCU Business School
• Breffni Greene – Associate Architect, Henry J Lyons
• Will Synnott – Chief Customer Officer, Disperse
• Adele Keane – Chief Operating Officer & Creative Director, Imvizar
• Sabahat Khan – Chief Information Officer, Local Government Management Agency
• Declan Grimes – Senior Engineer, Louth County Council
• Jo Sedley-Burke – Consultant, Campbell Tickell
• Barry Lowry – Office of the Government Chief Information Officer

Presentations from the event along with the event agenda and brochure are available to access at the links provided below;

Revolutionising Energy Efficiency in Social Housing: Observations from the Frontlines (Theo Lynn)

From Project Site to Insight: Leveraging AI and 360° Imagery for Smarter Housing Construction Developments (Will Synnott)

Telling the Stories of Places with Augmented Reality (Adele Keane)

Ireland’s Local Government Digital & ICT Strategy 2030 (Sabahat Khan)

Ethics and Sector Readiness for AI Adoption in Housing (Jo Sedley-Burke)

AI - Opportunities for the Public Sector (Barry Lowry)

Access the agenda here - Agenda

Access the full brochure here - Brochure

Access video highlights here - Video 

Access the full conference report here - Report

If you would like to be notified of future events hosted by The Housing Agency you can sign up to our Training & Events Mailing List here.

The Housing Agency is delighted to announce the winner of the 2024 Essay Prize competition. This prize is awarded to the most original student essay submitted for assessment as part of the Institute of Public Administration’s Professional Diploma in Housing Studies. This year’s winner is:

Haley Curran for the essay entitled “Housing Co-operative 2.0: how could a co-operative housing model work in the modern Irish housing landscape?” which has been published on our website here.

In addition, there were two runner-up prizes awarded. These were:

Diarmaid Hough for the essay entitled “An examination of the State’s ability to address the need for housing provision through the use of semi-state bodies”

and

Orla Connaughton for the essay entitled “Exploring the Limitations of the Housing First Model in Ireland”

The Housing Agency would like to congratulate the winner and the runners-up on the quality of their essays, the originality of their research, and their engagement with public policy.

The Housing Agency is committed to supporting the education, training, and development of Ireland’s housing practitioners.

For more information on the education and training options available for housing practitioners, please see www.housingtraining.ie.

Information about the Institute of Public Administration’s Professional Diploma in Housing Studies, as well as other courses relevant to housing practitioners, can be found here and here.

Housing Conditions and Integrated Care for Older People: Tallaght University Hospital and partners, identifying common housing conditions affecting older people in South Dublin.

The report was prepared as an action from the Housing Conditions for Older People Group (HCFOP), a group chaired by The Housing Agency. Members of this group include:, TrinityHaus, Age Friendly Ireland, Building Research Establishment (BRE), Meath County Council (Barry Lynch), South Dublin County Council (Colin Ward), Age Action, NDA and Tallaght University Hospital.

The research report was funded by the Meath Foundation, based in Tallaght University Hospital (TUH).

Research aims: The research aimed to investigate the link between common housing conditions and hazards that affect older people’s health in the South Dublin area, and their impact on TUH healthcare delivery.

The research highlighted three main issues:

• The serious implications that poor housing conditions have for older people in Ireland, the consequences for health and wellbeing outcomes, and the impact this has on the integrated care for older persons.
• The urgent need for better housing data, national housing condition surveys, and centralised data platforms.
• The need to support and expand integrated approaches to housing and the care of older people in Ireland by bringing together key partners including: hospitals; the Integrated Care Programme for Older People; local authorities; and the Healthy Age Friendly Homes Programme.

To read the report click here - Housing Conditions and Integrated Care for Older People. 

To read the Executive Summary, click here - Housing Conditions and Integrated Care for Older People - Executive Summary. 

The report will be launched online on Friday 6th September from 12-1pm. The event will be chaired by The Housing Agency, with lead authors Tom Grey and Jennifer O’Donoghue of TrintyHaus Research Centre at Trinity College Dublin (TCD), and Professor Des O’Neill a specialist in geriatric and stroke medicine based at TUH and TCD presenting.

Register for the webinar here - Housing Conditions and Integrated Care of Older People Tickets, Fri, Sep 6, 2024 at 12:00 PM | Eventbrite

This page relates to the Croí Cónaithe (Cities) scheme. This scheme is a fund to support the building of apartments for sale to owner-occupiers.

The Croí Cónaithe (Cities) Scheme is a fund to support the building of apartments for sale to owner-occupiers. The Scheme aims to bridge the current “Viability Gap” between the cost of building apartments and the market sale price (where the cost of building is greater).  

A key national policy objective under Housing for All, the Government’s national housing plan to 2030, is to build more homes within our cities and towns, resulting in compact growth and vibrant, liveable cities. This will help to tackle climate change, reduce vacancy and dereliction and help to meet the strong demand for urban living. 

Funding for Croí Cónaithe (Cities) Scheme will only be made available for suitable apartment developments where there is a demonstrated viability gap. Unless bridged, this gap will lead to the apartments not being built or being built but not available for purchase by owner-occupiers. Open book accounting will be required for all developments to make sure that the funding support provided only targets the viability gap in question resulting in a reduction of cost for home-buyers and increased supply into the market.

The Scheme will be managed and administered by The Housing Agency on behalf of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. The Housing Agency will receive proposals for developments via e-tenders. It will assess eligibility and carry out detailed due diligence and an open book assessment on eligible proposals.

Croí Cónaithe developments currently under construction

The following developments are being delivered under the Croí Cónaithe (Cities) Scheme.  The below developments outline in more detail some of the upcoming projects that will comprise of 1, 2, and 3 bedroom apartments. It is envisioned that the following developments will be completed by 2027.

Park Developments – Clay Farm, Meadow View, Dublin 18

Project Description

Meadow View, Clay Farm is located in Dublin 18 and comprises of 157 units with a mix of 1, 2, and 3 bedroom apartments. The proposed development is located just off exit 15 of the M50 and close to amenities such as restaurants, cafes, creches and schools.  The location of Meadow View, Clay Farm will also provide proximity to grocery and retail outlets, along with multiple streams of public transport, with the Leopardstown Valley and Gallops Luas Stops right next to the scheme. Phase 1 of this development will launch toward the end of 2025.

Park Developments - Woodward Court, Glencairn Gate, Murphystown Way, Dublin 18

Project description

Woodward Court, Glencairn Gate, Murphystown Way is located in Dublin 18. The development is located just off exit 14 on the M50, in proximity to Leopardstown and Sandyford Business Parks with amenities such as restaurants, cafes, and schools, grocery and retail outlets close by.  The location of Woodward Court has multiple streams of public transport, including the Glencairn Luas stop which is just 1 minute’s walking distance from the site. This development will launch mid-2025 and will comprise of 53 apartments in total, with a mix of 1, 2, and 3 bed apartments.

Glenveagh Homes – Blackrock Villas, Blackrock, Co. Cork

Project Description

Blackrock Villas is located in Cork.  The development is ideally located close to the south bank of the River Lee and is set in one of Cork City’s most popular and picturesque locations. The development will comprise 274 apartments with a mix of studios, along with 1, 2, and 3 bedroom apartments.

Blackrock Villas is located just 3km from Cork City centre and is within close proximity of multiple amenities, including shopping districts, leisure centres and childcare facilities, as well as primary and secondary schools.

The scheme has easy access to the N40 South Ring Road network providing access to western routes as well as connection to Dublin (M8) and Waterford (N25). The area is also well served by local transport links including the 202, 215 and 219 bus routes, all of which have numerous stops located within 500 metres of the development. 

It is expected that the first homes in Blackrock Villas will be completed by late 2025.

Cairn Homes - Mercer Vale, Cherrywood, Dublin 18.

Project Description

Mercer Vale, Cherrywood is located in Dublin 18.  Cherrywood is a highly regarded new urban neighbourhood in the heart of South Dublin. Cherrywood provides easy access to the M50 and N11 interchange and is less than a 10-minute walk to the Laughanstown Luas stop.  The development will comprise 58 apartments with a mix of 1, 2 and 3-bedroom apartments within an attractive development with plenty of green space, both public and private.  Cherrywood is also in close proximity to amenities such as schools, shops, leisure facilities and parks.  Mercer Vale, Cherrywood is expected to be completed in Q2/3 2026.

Castletreasure, Douglas, Co. Cork.

Project description

Castletreasure, Douglas, Co. Cork is located just off the Carrigaline Road and 3.5km southeast of Cork City. The development will comprise 98 apartments with a mix of 1 and 2-bedroom apartments.  Douglas is well-serviced by public transport with multiple bus routes within close proximity to the development, including the 206, 207, 216, and 220. The development is also within easy reach of several major roads, including the N28, N40, and the M8 motorway. It is less than 15 minutes distance from Cork International Airport and Cork Train Station. There are also two cycling routes running alongside the development - the Ballybrack Valley Greenway and the Douglas to Crosshaven cycle route.

Expressions of Interest

The Housing Agency is pleased to welcome proposers to the Third Expression of Interest for Croí Cónaithe (Cities). Proposers are invited to submit proposals via eTenders. The deadline for receipt of proposals is no later than 5pm on 26th September 2024. It is the sole responsibility of the proposer to ensure their submission is received by the stated deadline.

The Croí Cónaithe (Cities) Scheme Expression of Interest (EOI) Application Form can be accessed through the eTenders platform: http://eTenders.gov.ie/. Please note that the eTenders web platform is being used for its functionality only and it is acknowledged that this EOI process is not a public tender. Please feel free to contact our dedicated Croí Cónaithe (Cities) Scheme team at the Housing Agency on +353 (0) 1 656 4100.

Useful links

• Frequently Asked Questions - Croí Cónaithe (Cities) 
• eTenders page
• Expression of Interest Document
• Expression of Interest Application Form 
• Expression of Interest Excel Document
• Croí Cónaithe (Cities) Contracts