‘Housing tsar’: Government appoints Garret Doocey to senior housing activation role
New Deputy Secretary General tasked with accelerating housing supply and unlocking infrastructure-led delivery
10 February 2026 | 📧 editor@ipropertyradio.com
The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage has announced the appointment of Mr Garret Doocey as Deputy Secretary General with responsibility for housing activation.
Mr Doocey takes up the role following a recruitment process led by Public Jobs in conjunction with the Civil Service’s Top Level Appointments Committee. He joins the Department from the Department of Transport, where he served as an Assistant Secretary.
In his previous roles, Mr Doocey held senior responsibility across corporate, maritime and public transport functions, including oversight of major national infrastructure programmes such as BusConnects, DART+, MetroLink and the national roads programme. Prior to joining the Civil Service, he worked in the private sector. His academic qualifications include an MSc in Major Programme Management, an MSc in Economic Policy Studies and an MA in Public Management.
Reporting directly to the Secretary General, the new Deputy Secretary General role is designed to strengthen coordination and delivery of increased housing supply across all tenures. The position carries responsibility for the Housing Activation Office, which was established in 2025 by Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, James Browne TD.
The role is explicitly cross-cutting, with a mandate to ensure that policy across the Department’s full remit is aligned with the Government’s housing supply objectives. A central focus will be on addressing infrastructure constraints that are delaying or preventing the activation of housing sites, and on creating the conditions necessary to support both public and private housing delivery.
The Housing Activation Office, which will now sit under Mr Doocey’s remit, has been engaging with local authorities, infrastructure agencies and other stakeholders nationwide since its establishment. According to the Department, the office has held detailed meetings with all local authorities to identify infrastructure barriers and to develop a coordinated, investment-led response.
In January 2026, the Government launched a new multi-annual €1 billion Housing Infrastructure Investment Fund to support direct investment in housing-enabling public infrastructure. The fund is intended to accelerate housing delivery by targeting critical infrastructure deficits, and its management will sit with the Housing Activation Office.
The Department said the appointment of a Deputy Secretary General dedicated to housing activation is intended to bring increased focus and coordination to the Government’s infrastructure and housing delivery agenda, at a time of sustained pressure on housing supply nationwide.
