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Sunday Property Round-Up 29th March 2026 

Sunday Property Round-Up 29th March 2026 

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

Celtic Interconnector Cork

THIS WEEK the ESRI forecasted that housing output will not increase this year, while also revising inflation expectations to 3.2% in 2026, driven by an energy price shock. Against that backdrop, the CIF reports continued concern among construction firms, with most contractors experiencing rising input costs and weak engagement from the public sector. 

At policy level, the Housing Minister has confirmed that judicial review reforms in planning will proceed, despite recent experience raising questions about their effectiveness. In parallel, Mayo TD Paul Lawless has introduced the Planning and Development (Material Interest) Bill 2026, which proposes restricting planning objections to those with a defined material interest. The Bill would exclude objections from individuals living more than 10km from a site, or landowners more than 5km away, with the stated aim of reducing delays caused by geographically distant objectors.

Data released by the CSO this week adds further complexity. In 2024, 3% of homes nationally were vacant, equating to approximately 70,000 properties, with vacancy rates as low as 1% in urban areas and as high as 10% in parts of rural Ireland. 

WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT RURAL IRELAND…

The Irish Independent reports that homeowners may soon be offered a €14,000 tax break for newly built modular homes in back gardens, alongside plans to extend the rent-a-room scheme to increase rental availability. In parallel, the Housing Agency has published research emphasising the importance of accurate terminology in describing modern methods of construction, reflecting a broader shift in how MMC is understood and communicated – no more “prefab”!

Cork dominates development discourse this week. The Examiner provides detailed coverage of activity in the region, while Cork Beo documents progress on the 25-storey building under construction at Cork Docklands, set to become the tallest in the State.

On infrastructure, there has been encouraging movement following the Government’s Accelerating Infrastructure framework. Approval of the Critical Infrastructure Bill will introduce a fast-track pathway for designated projects, prioritising them within decision-making processes and potentially improving timelines. A further Government-approved review of the Office of the Planning Regulator will examine how it can better support the delivery of housing and critical infrastructure.

At local authority level, Dublin City Council has launched a House Building Programme targeting 4,000 new homes across more than 30 sites by 2030, signalling continued emphasis on public-led delivery.

Finally, on the ground, progress in delivery and safety was marked during an iProperty Radio visit to EirGrid’s Celtic Interconnector, currently the largest CapEx energy project in Ireland. Siemens Energy, alongside delivery partners Wills Bros, Designer Group, Suir Engineering and the wider supply chain, recorded 500,000 safe working hours in collaboration with the CIF Safety team – keep an eye on iProperty Radio for behind the scenes images and video clips of this visit

📧 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: 

  • BREAKING NEWS: Government targets 42,000 student beds by 2035 under new national strategy – Plan centres on unlocking campus land, private delivery and affordability supports to ease pressure on rental market
Government targets 42,000 student beds by 2035 under new national strategy

EU POLICY & RESEARCH IMPACTING HOUSING DELIVERY

  • Midlands MEP Challenges EU As Housing Funding Falls Short: Ciaran Mullooly is highlighting that €61 million would only fund 120 new homes, calling for greater transparency in EU fund reallocations. European Commission Executive Vice-President Raffaele Fitto admitted the shortfall, describing the situation as an emergency and promising new policy tools and broader engagement with regional strategies. MEP Mullooly says acknowledgment of the crisis must be followed by concrete action in the next EU budget:  https://www.midlands103.com/news/midlands-news/midlands-mep-challenges-eu-as-housing-funding-falls-short/
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

CONSTRUCTION: https://breakingground.news 

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/

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 

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

Commercial 

Property Round-Up podcast on iProperty Radio 

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