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Sunday Property Round-Up 22nd March 2026 

Sunday Property Round-Up 22nd March 2026 

Weekly Irish property market news and insights – for the industry, by the industry  

It has been the quietest week of the year to date on the policy front, with the rental reforms fallout continuing. 

PROPERTY prices rise 7% as Midlands surge and regional affordability gap deepens – annual growth persists despite subdued sales volumes and rising new-build activity.

While housing commencements are up – 3,423 starts in February –  the rolling 12-month total remains below 20,000.

MMC adoption is increasing, but nowhere near the scale needed to shift output.

Eviction notices rose 41% in the last three months of 2025, with applications to the RTB for dispute resolution up 26% annually.

RTE has published a series of “landlords’ furious emails to ministers” with Boyd’s Estate Office in Kilkenny saying: “40% of our landlords are actively discussing selling up. This is not a slow decline – it is an unprecedented rush for the exits.” 

On the delivery side, the Independent reports that ‘Builders face costs ‘bloodbath’ as critical pipe suppliers prepare to raise prices’ as house-builder Michael O’Flynn pauses new contracts amid ‘huge concern’ over Iran war price rises and warns that companies cannot commit to big projects.

The quality of building and building materials is back in  the news following a serious BALCONY FAILURE: Father of two children who fell from a second-storey balcony of an apartment in Co Waterford says he is “thankful my kids are alive” 

PUNITIVE vs. CORRECTIVE: All eyes turned in horror to the demolition of the Bohermeen home built 20 years ago without planning. Why this building could not be used for alternative accommodation in the midst of a housing crisis – or, failing that, why the building could not have been deconstructed and usable materials given a second life – has not been adequately explained. 

This has led to an unfortunate conflation of planning enforcement failures with planning for one-off homes in rural Ireland, which I have tried to address myself here: https://caroltallon.com/a-misread-of-contemporary-rural-ireland/ The Bohermeen case is a clear breach of planning law. It required enforcement, and the length of time involved does point to systemic weaknesses in enforcement processes, however, it is not representative of rural housing generally and it is not a reasonable argument against legitimate rural development. 

The Housing Minister,  the Planning Minister and most recently, the Tánaiste, have all committed to a fairer approach to on-off rural homes in the upcoming planning statement, promised to be in effect by the summertime. 

Cork County Council is to write to the Minister for Housing, Local Government & Heritage James Browne (FF) to extend the waiver scheme for one-off housing and self-build housing, which is welcome, and it would be great to see other local authorities adopt this approach.

With this new approach, it is critical that we do not repeat past mistakes and compromise the ecology of rural Ireland. How do we ensure the environmental sustainability of rural areas while building much-needed social sustainability? 

I would love to hear directly from people innovating nature-based or tech-based solutions for more sustainable rural living, from utilities to transport and everything in between, how do we ensure a viable, vibrant and liveable future for rural Ireland? Please contact me on carol@caroltallon.com to discuss 

📧 All stories are covered in full within this week’s Sunday Property Round-Up on iProperty Radio, powered by Property District – now the largest weekly newsletter BY and FOR Ireland’s real estate and construction industry. If it’s not in your inbox yet, email carol@caroltallon.com to receive a copy.

PROPERTY DISTRICT PRESS OFFICE 

Below are the local and international stories that might be of particular interest: 

EU POLICY & RESEARCH IMPACTING HOUSING DELIVERY

  • HOUSING AGENCY: In this week’s ‘Housing Insights’ podcast industry expert Carol Tallon joins Roslyn Molloy to dissect the first-ever EU Affordable Housing Plan. We discuss what impact it could have on Ireland and Ireland’s role in influencing the work happening in Europe.  In this episode, we explore:

• The 4 Pillars of Change: From boosting supply to mobilizing €43 billion in investment.

• State Aid Reform: How changing EU rules will allow governments to directly subsidize affordable housing.

• Modern Methods of Construction (MMC): Transitioning to off-site, tech-driven building to speed up delivery.

• The “Right to Live Where You Serve”: Protecting essential workers and the next generation in rural communities.

Listen to this episode and explore the rest of our series to deepen your understanding of housing in Ireland:

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5dSJNN6dyWZ4Wp6Of95l1D?si=48457d360fb74213&nd=1&dlsi=444fb6f5b1a8444f 

If you missed last week’s round-up, you can catch up here: https://ipropertyradio.com/sunday-property-round-up/ 
As always, you might let me know if I have missed out on any relevant property news by emailing carol@caroltallon.com 

PLACEMAKING: https://placeengage.com

Open public consultations and community engagement, in association with the Public Consultation Institute of Ireland

  • Beautiful – Sustainable – Together: Aligned with Aarhus Convention transparency and New European Bauhaus principles, PLACEengage empowers communities, planners, and developers across Ireland’s public and private sectors to collaborate more effectively — Learn more at www.PLACEengage.com PLACEengage: Better placemaking, together.

Rural, Coastal & Islands

  • 35 Years of LEADER Supporting Rural Development in Ireland: Ireland’s rural communities are marking a significant milestone this year as the LEADER Programme reaches its 35th anniversary. Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht, Dara Calleary TD, has congratulated LEADER groups across the country for their sustained contribution to local development since the programme was first introduced in 1991 https://placeengage.com/35-years-of-leader-supporting-rural-development-in-ireland/

CONSTRUCTION: https://breakingground.news 

📍 Insights tool: You can get a more comprehensive view of weekly and/monthly planning activities at all stages through Property District’s Development Heat Map: https://propertydistrict.ie/development-heat-map/

OPEN CONSULTATION – IRELAND’S BUILDING REGULATIONS proposed amendments — and this time, the focus is on what we build with, and how we build it. The Department of Housing has opened a public consultation on proposed amendments to Part D (Materials and Workmanship). This may sound technical, but it goes to the heart of construction quality, compliance, and trust in the built environment. At its core, Part D sets the minimum standard: buildings must be constructed using “proper materials” and with appropriate workmanship. The proposed changes aim to align Ireland’s regulations with the new EU Construction Products Regulation (CPR 2024), ensuring that materials meeting updated CE marking and technical standards are recognised as compliant. Submissions are open until 30 April 2026 https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-housing-local-government-and-heritage/consultations/public-consultation-on-amendments-to-part-d-materials-and-workmanship-of-the-second-schedule-to-the-building-regulations/

  • Construction of more than 450 homes in west Dublin is set to begin after the developer behind the scheme secured an extension of its planning permission under emergency legislation introduced last year to boost housing supply. South Dublin County Council has granted Hugh McGreevy & Sons Ltd a three-year extension to its €200 million residential project at Tubber Lane, Adamstown. The original five‑year permission, approved in October 2022, was due to expire with the scheme still not started. https://www.irishtimes.com/business/2026/03/17/west-dublin-housing-scheme-set-to-begin/

Breaking Ground News: Appointments & Construction Careers

  • BGN Construction Careers, your weekly newsletter from Breaking Ground news, keeps you updated on the latest job opportunities, while showcasing the very best employer brands and projects, across Ireland’s construction industry. Whether you are looking for your next role or planning your career path, stay connected with us for new openings, upskilling opportunities and industry news. Get all the latest job 

details straight to your inbox: Sign up https://breakingground.news/sign-up-form/

  • Government spent over €400,000 in 2024 and 2025 on advertising campaigns to attract construction workers back to the country. The ‘Build Back Home’ campaign was launched by the Department of Higher Education and Skills in 2024, in an effort to encourage Irish people who had emigrated to Australia and Canada to move back to Ireland. In 2025, the campaign was extended to target workers in the US https://www.thejournal.ie/consturction-workers-ireland-6988739-Mar2026/

PODCASTS:

BREAKING GROUND

Offsite & Other Modern Methods of Construction, with Trudi Sully

We recorded this special episode of Breaking Ground at the Johnstown Estate during the CIF event marking International Women’s Day, where the conversation focused on one of the construction sector’s most important shifts — industrialised construction.

In this episode, Carol Tallon speaks with Trudi Sully, Director of Industrialised Construction at Mott MacDonald and Co-Chair of the UK’s Building Better – Community of Practice, powered by Housing Festival.

The discussion explores what Building Better is, why the initiative was created, and why the conversation around industrialised construction is gaining urgency now. Trudi also explains how a global engineering consultancy such as Mott MacDonald became deeply involved in housing innovation, and how collaboration across industry is helping to accelerate change.

The episode also looks at how professionals and organisations can engage with the Building Better community and contribute to advancing modern methods of construction.

Listen back: https://open.spotify.com/show/6QU2UipCdyYe4e154IzhKR


Watch back: https://youtu.be/xNBlQC2wW98

*Produced by Katie Tallon

CIF Safety Campaign 2026 Podcast 

Critical Risk – Hazardous Energy

In episode 2 of the Construction Industry Federation (CIF) Construction Safety Campaign 2026 podcast, Director of Safety, Education & Training, Sean Downey, joins Brian Kelly, Site Electrical Lead at SK Pharmteco, pharmaceutical manufacturer, on site at the Irish HQ in Swords to discuss the risks of working on hazardous energy and the mitigation measures that can be taken to deal with that.

🎙️Listen back:   https://open.spotify.com/show/2BqYvhbc8dRG6rMBa6VqCv

📽️ Watch the interview in full: https://youtu.be/bVG8F75_QBs

Produced by Katie Tallon MPRII, iProperty Radio for CIF

Watch the entire series: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5hAEpymn6vnhCbgSqe6T8TJTfB9mvD6C&si=ity7U_ANvSSyc0bU

REAL ESTATE: www.irishrealestate.news

Residential 

*Searching for a new home or investment property in Ireland? Join the iProperty Radio FACEBOOK community of property buyers in Ireland 2026: https://www.facebook.com/groups/IrishPropertyBuyers/ 

iProperty Radio: NEW HOMES OF THE WEEK

🔔 iProperty Radio New Homes of the Week – New homes launched at Bridgegate in Ardee offering modern family living in growing Louth town: Richmond Homes development positions Ardee as commuter location with strong connectivity and local amenities

iProperty Radio: New Homes of the Week – Bridgegate in Ardee 

Commercial 

Property Round-Up podcast on iProperty Radio 

This episode of the  Property Round-Up podcast on iProperty Radio was recorded on site at MIPIM 2026, where host Carol Tallon caught up with Alice Charles, Director of Cities, Planning & Design with Arup.

From housing as infrastructure to unlocking urban regeneration across Europe, this was a wide-ranging conversation on some of the biggest themes shaping #MIPIM 2026.

Alice shared insights from her work with cities and investors across Europe, including the huge potential of brownfield land for housing delivery, why early engagement with investors matters, and how cities like Copenhagen have successfully linked transport infrastructure with long-term urban regeneration.

They also discuss adaptive reuse, the growing focus on the “living sector”, and why meaningful community engagement must reach beyond the usual voices in public consultation.

A practical conversation on what cities, governments and investors need to do differently if we are serious about tackling the housing crisis.

🎧 https://open.spotify.com/show/5EyzgZSvR4hFk6umOWyDCv

📽️ https://youtu.be/iChx-Pzf7vc?si=MDVqtb8MjSGZg5qY 

*Produced by Katie Tallon MPRII

Housing Insights: The Housing Agency Podcast

🎙️In our latest episode of Housing Insights, industry expert Carol Tallon joins Roslyn Molloy to dissect the first-ever EU Affordable Housing Plan. We discuss what impact it could have on Ireland and Ireland’s role in influencing the work happening in Europe.

🎧 In this episode, we explore:

• The 4 Pillars of Change: From boosting supply to mobilizing €43 billion in investment.

• State Aid Reform: How changing EU rules will allow governments to directly subsidize affordable housing.

• Modern Methods of Construction (MMC): Transitioning to off-site, tech-driven building to speed up delivery.

• The “Right to Live Where You Serve”: Protecting essential workers and the next generation in rural communities.

Listen to this episode and explore the rest of our series to deepen your understanding of housing in Ireland:

🌏 Links to all episodes at https://ipropertyradio.com/housing-agency/

PROPTECH, CONSTRUCTION TECH & SMART CITIES: https://prop-tech.ie/

Proptech Ireland is updating the database of 2026 Irish technology providers for the built environment – sign up here: https://prop-tech.ie/register/  and email product or service details to hello@prop-tech.ie

  • Proptech Ireland: Ireland’s CONSTRUCTION and REAL ESTATE ESG technologies resource hub. Confused about how and where to start on your ESG journey? Contact us 👉https://prop-tech.ie

PODCAST: The Proptech Hot Seat on iPropertyRadio.com

All previous episodes of the Proptech Hot Seat can be found at https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5hAEpymn6vnSmFt4WXloS0IQNfUkdw2G&si=qeT3RSVaXBPX3Sxd

Proptech Hot seat is sponsored by Proptech Ireland, the hub for innovators, investors and industry leaders https://prop-tech.ie/ 

Produced by Katie Tallon, with Hear Me Roar Media on sound https://hearmeroarmedia.com 

All Proptech Hot Seat episodes –  https://ipropertyradio.com/proptech-hot-seat/ 

INFRASTRUCTURE, ENERGY, ENVIRONMENT & BIODIVERSITY

INTERNATIONAL 

Picture of Carol Tallon

Carol Tallon