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Government to discuss measures to speed up delivery of social and affordable housing

Government to discuss measures to speed up delivery of social and affordable housing
A new housing development in Dublin, © PA Archive/PA Images

A series of measures to speed up the delivery of social and affordable housing will go to Government today.

It'll see grants given to developers and a waiving of development fees.

This latest measure to boost the supply of housing will cost around 1 billion.

It'll involve a subvention to developers of €150,000 to deliver affordable and cost-rental homes.

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Development fees, which are used to provide infrastructure like roads and water around new developments, will be waived, in the short term in an effort to encourage more builders to proceed with construction projects more quickly.

Grants to develop derelict properties will also be increased.

Taoiseach rejects negative feedback

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar's admitted some of the measures may be misrepresented as a gift to developers, but rejects that view.

According to Newstalk, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said the measure will cost “hundreds of millions of euro” and will be in place for several years.

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He said it was “difficult to say for sure” how many additional homes would be built as a result but that it would help the Government reach its target of 30,000 new homes every year.

The subvention to developers could be as high as €150,000 but the Taoiseach rejected the idea it was in any way a gift or giveaway.

“I absolutely know it’ll be misrepresented that way and presented that way. I totally reject that presentation,” he said.

The Cabinet is also expected to sign off on a proposal to increase grants for those who renovate vacant homes.

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