Minister Canney welcomes strong progress in delivering Government’s Housing Plan

• Angelina Nugent


• 17 Jul 2026

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 the publication of the Mid-Year 2026 Progress Report on Delivering Homes, Building Communities 2025-2030, highlighting the significant progress being made to accelerate housing delivery, strengthen planning and unlock new homes across Ireland.

The report sets out the progress made since the Government’s housing plan was launched in November 2025 and confirms that implementation is well underway across more than 100 actions being delivered by Government Departments and State agencies.

Among the key achievements highlighted in the report are:

• the €862 million Housing Infrastructure Investment Fund, with 82 projects approved and the potential to unlock land for more than 200,000 homes;
• the establishment of the Housing Activation Delivery and Industry Groups under the Housing Activation Office, bringing together key stakeholders to remove barriers and accelerate housing delivery;
• the introduction of a new single-stage approval process for social housing projects of up to €200 million, reducing delays and speeding up delivery;
• the expansion of the Buy and Renew Scheme to help convert more derelict properties into high-quality social homes;
• The Vacant Above the Shop Grant was introduced to support turning above the shop spaces into new homes, along with a targeted Expert Advice Grant;
• the launch of the Towns and Cities Regeneration Investment Fund, extending regeneration supports to more towns across the country;
• proposed planning exemption reforms to make it easier for homeowners to extend and improve their homes, while supporting a more efficient planning system;
• enhancements to the Living City Initiative, extending eligibility and supporting the regeneration of older residential properties built before 1975. The scheme will continue to the end of 2030 and will include five new towns;
• and the latest funding call under Croí Cónaithe (Cities) to support the delivery of owner-occupier apartments.

There are also a small number of actions that, while significant progress has been made on their implementation, have not been able to progress to completion in according with the timeline of the plan but will be completed in the coming months. They include for example, the commitments to zone the amount of land required to facilitate the delivery of over 300,000 homes by 2030, in line with the National Planning Framework and the implementation of the Planning and Development Act 2024 to expedite decision making timelines in housing development.

Welcoming the report, Minister Canney said: “This report shows that the Government is maintaining momentum in delivering more homes and putting the structures in place to accelerate housing supply. The progress being made is practical, measurable and focused on removing barriers so that more homes can be delivered more quickly.”