Seán Canney TD, Minister of State for International and Road Transport, Logistics, Rail and Ports and Leader in Cabinet of the Independent Ministers, has welcomed Government approval for the drafting of new legislation aimed at making it easier for homebuilders to access finance and bring more housing developments forward.
The Home Building Finance Ireland (Amendment) Bill 2026 will allow Home Building Finance Ireland (HBFI) to provide funding for the purchase of residentially zoned land before planning permission has been secured.
The measure is particularly aimed at smaller and medium-sized homebuilders who often face difficulties accessing finance to purchase land and prepare future housing developments.
Minister Canney said: “One of the challenges facing smaller builders is getting access to the finance they need to purchase land and get projects moving.
“At present, funding can be particularly difficult to secure where land is zoned for housing but planning permission has not yet been granted.
“This change will help address that gap and give smaller builders a better opportunity to bring forward new developments.
“We need to make it easier for builders to get projects off the ground, particularly smaller developments which have an important role to play in delivering homes in towns and villages across the country.”
Research carried out by HBFI has found that more than 90% of homebuilders deliver fewer than 50 homes annually, highlighting the importance of smaller developers to Ireland’s overall housing supply.
HBFI has already approved €3.78 billion in funding, supporting the delivery of almost 20,000 homes across the country,
The proposed legislation will expand HBFI’s existing lending powers to support the purchase of residentially zoned land without planning permission, where the land is capable of supporting viable housing development.
Funding will be available to both new and existing HBFI customers and will remain subject to normal commercial lending and risk assessment requirements.
Minister Canney added: “Smaller builders are an important part of housing delivery, particularly in rural communities where developments of five, ten or twenty homes can make a real difference.”
