Ireland seeks global investment to accelerate housing delivery
Housing Minister James Browne tells international investors at MIPIM that Ireland has created the conditions for large-scale housing delivery and is seeking stronger partnerships with private capital.
9 March 2026 | 📧 editor@ipropertyradio.com
Housing Minister James Browne has told international investors that Ireland has “acted on unlocking our potential” in housing and is ready to work with private capital to accelerate delivery.
Speaking at MIPIM, the global property and investment conference in Cannes, the Minister outlined the Government’s housing strategy and investment environment during a session focused on collaborative solutions for affordable housing.
Addressing developers, financiers and city leaders, Mr Browne said the Irish Government is committed to delivering at least 300,000 homes by 2030 under the national housing plan Delivering Homes, Building Communities.
“As part of our plan, the Irish Government is committed to delivering 300,000 homes by 2030 including 72,000 social homes and 90,000 affordable homes and starter homes,” he said.
“But 300,000 homes is not a ceiling – it is a floor – and we want to work in partnership with private capital to deliver on this ambition.”
The Minister positioned Ireland as an attractive long-term housing investment market, pointing to demographic growth, a strong economy and sustained housing demand.
“Ireland is among the fastest growing economies in Europe and employment has remained at around or below 5% since early 2022,” he said.
“With major international businesses based in our cities and a supportive economic model including a competitive corporation tax regime and a robust regulatory framework, Ireland is a serious investment and development proposition for housing.”
Mr Browne said the Government’s National Development Plan commits more than €275 billion in capital investment to 2035, with housing delivery requiring more than €20 billion annually in combined public and private funding.
He said a range of policy reforms are now in place to create what he described as an “enabling operational environment” to scale up housing delivery.
These include reforms to planning processes intended to reduce delays, updates to national development plans to ensure sufficient land supply, and the establishment of a dedicated housing activation office within the Department of Housing.
The Government has also announced a new multi-annual €1 billion Housing Infrastructure Investment Fund to support essential infrastructure needed for new housing.
Mr Browne highlighted recent policy changes aimed at balancing tenant protections with the need to attract investment into the rental sector.
Measures include reforms to leasing rules and adjustments to rent controls, which the Government says are designed to provide greater predictability for investors while maintaining tenant protections.
Additional financial incentives introduced to support housing delivery include a temporary reduction in VAT on new homes from 13.5% to 9%, enhanced tax deductions for apartment construction costs, and corporation tax exemptions for income generated from new cost-rental housing.
The Minister also emphasised the Government’s focus on modern methods of construction and standardised housing design to increase productivity and reduce costs.
He said initiatives such as employer requirements for social housing and new standardised design approaches are intended to provide certainty for builders while encouraging faster and more sustainable construction.
Mr Browne pointed to mixed-tenure developments as a central part of Ireland’s housing strategy, combining social, affordable and private housing within the same communities.
Examples cited included large-scale developments in Adamstown and Clonburris in Dublin, as well as the regeneration of the former St Kevin’s Hospital site at St Teresa’s Gardens and the redevelopment of the Shanganagh Castle estate in south Dublin.
He also highlighted the major Docklands regeneration project in Cork being advanced by the Land Development Agency in partnership with private developers.
The Minister said these projects demonstrate how collaboration between the State, local authorities, approved housing bodies and private developers can deliver housing at scale.
“The Irish State will lead with record investment and strong, consistent direction,” he said.
“But success depends on collaboration and ambition across the public and private sectors.”
Minister Browne concluded by noting that housing affordability is now a challenge across Europe and welcomed the European Commission’s emerging affordable housing initiatives, including proposals for greater EU investment funding and a pan-European housing investment platform.
He said Ireland is already working with institutions such as the European Investment Bank to finance social and affordable housing and is exploring further opportunities to attract international capital to support housing supply.
