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The 'Housing For All' plan will now not be ready for another few weeks. Shutterstock

Government's new 'Housing For All' plan delayed until at least the end of August

The new housing plan was expected to go to Cabinet next week.

THE GOVERNMENT’S ‘HOUSING For All’ plan will now not be published until the end of next month, at least.

Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien had previously said he would launch the new plan in July.

It had been earmarked to go before Cabinet next Wednesday. 

The last Cabinet meeting was due to be held next week, however, Tánaiste Leo Varadkar said today that ministers will meet throughout August, and will not take the usual summer break.

The much talked about new housing plan will replace the government’s ‘Rebuilding Ireland’ scheme which former housing ministers Simon Coveney and Eoghan Murphy stood over. 

A spokesperson or the housing minister said:

“Work is continuing on the Housing for All plan. It’s a multi-annual plan, to 2030, and a fully funded plan. Each Department is feeding into it and this work will continue throughout August.”

While the details of the plan won’t be released next week, details around the financial side of the plan, and how much it will cost, will go before Cabinet next week.

The National Development Plan will outline the capital investment the government plans to undertake in housing.

Senior sources said the plan is not yet ready, with a number of placeholders still in the draft plan that need to worked out, and could take “another few weeks”.

While a date for the launch is still to be confirmed, sources state it is likely to be the end of August or early September.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said the Housing For All strategy will outline “a step change in terms of the construction of housing, social, affordable, right across the board”.

In a tweet this afternoon, the housing minister said he is “very close” to publishing the plan, stating that it will be a “template for the country moving forward”.

O’Brien said it is “crucially important” and “nearing conclusion”. 

There is “a lot of work to do over the next few weeks” but the minister said progress in key areas, in homelessness, rents and affordability is porgressing.

Sinn Féin’s housing spokesperson Eoin Ó Broin told The Journal:

“It is incredible that after more than a year in office the Minister for Housing has not yet completed or published his housing plan. We have had a year of promises and half baked legislation but no indication of the new social and affordable housing targets for each year from 2022.

“For all their faults at least Fine Gael had a housing plan published within 100 days of taking office. At this stage it appears that the plan is being held up by further wrangling between the coalition partners on the budget allocation.

“Meanwhile rents increase, house prices increase, social housing output remains glacial and homelessness remains stubbornly high. It’s time the minister and the Government started to treat the housing crisis with the urgency it deserves.”

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19 Comments
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    Mute Cookie
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    Jul 22nd 2021, 3:15 PM

    They need time to insert some loopholes to protect vulture funds and developers no doubt.

    The manner in which the vulture funds were permitted to dodging the 10% stamp duty last month proves beyond all doubt that the FFG party has zero intention of sorting the housing crisis.

    320
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    Mute Ilarion Cibu
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    Jul 22nd 2021, 3:44 PM

    @Cookie: exactly what is happening

    93
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    Mute Tim Oconnell
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    Jul 22nd 2021, 3:19 PM

    Had a little laugh looking at reports from 1968 Des O Malley stating what he was most asked about on the campaign was ‘ housing issues ! 50 plus year later.

    155
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    Mute Neuville-Kepler62F
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    Jul 22nd 2021, 7:13 PM

    @Tim Oconnell: 1974 Kenny Report recommended a Referendum to sort housing. Fianna Fail and Fine Gael and Labour all avoided it … you know why but still voted them into power!!!

    If the Kenny Report recommendation for a Referendum was delivered, then the 2008 Housing/Financial crash could not have happened and we wouldnt have the current housing crisis AND we would not be facing another house price bubble ….. and inevitable crash.

    32
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    Mute Paul Power
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    Jul 22nd 2021, 4:05 PM

    Pension commission report delayed also. Waiting for the Dail to go on holidays.

    80
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    Mute The Descolada
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    Jul 22nd 2021, 4:45 PM

    Sounds better than the “Housing for None” plan they’ve had up to now

    56
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    Mute Charles Shelly
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    Jul 22nd 2021, 4:36 PM

    Not fit for purpose

    43
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    Mute speedy
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    Jul 22nd 2021, 5:34 PM

    Sure we have to wait for our lord’s to come back from their little summer holiday break.the Irish Parliament is run like the teachers union in this country.

    36
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    Mute Tim Oconnell
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    Jul 22nd 2021, 6:35 PM

    @speedy: haha. They need their week holiday alright rural TDS need to ‘save the crops ‘

    7
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    Mute Tim Oconnell
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    Jul 22nd 2021, 6:36 PM

    @speedy: haha. They need their ten week holiday alright rural TDS need to ‘save the crops ‘

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    Mute Mohammed Mohammed
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    Jul 22nd 2021, 4:15 PM

    Crisis? What crisis?

    34
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    Mute Ciaran O Moore
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    Jul 22nd 2021, 4:30 PM

    @Mohammed Mohammed: Go back to sleep

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    Mute Gerard Heery
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    Jul 22nd 2021, 6:54 PM

    @Mohammed Mohammed: supertramp album about 1976 I think

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    Mute Geoff Bateman
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    Jul 22nd 2021, 4:51 PM

    can down the road yet again

    34
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    Mute Craig Ruth
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    Jul 22nd 2021, 5:01 PM

    Prob couldn’t get through reading it from start to finish without bursting into laughter I’d imagine

    36
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    Mute Kevin Thompson
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    Jul 23rd 2021, 7:47 AM

    The housing plan has been delayed for the last 40 years

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    Mute Ultan Blake
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    Jul 23rd 2021, 10:14 AM

    Housing for all! What a joke and what ejits we are for thinking they are genuine in their hypocrisy.
    When Government policy stops almost all residential buildings in the midst of a housing crisis. 60,000 houses in developments in cities and towns granted permission by An Bord Pleanala, all stopped due to high court rulings and then the Unelected Planning Regulator stopping one off houses and he is even looking to overrule decisions on County Development Plans voted and approved by our elected representatives on the County Councils. It’s more like Government policy is to ensure Housing For No One.
    In the middle of this housing crisis one thing the housing Minister must do is put a stop to any Government agency trying to stop construction of houses. Stop the Planning Regulator.

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    Mute David Saunders
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    Jul 25th 2021, 1:48 PM

    So where are the builders going to come from to build all the planned new houses? Every builder left in the country is out the door with work as is and there is no hope of bringing in labour as they would have no where to live while building said houses

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    Mute adrian j aungier
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    Jul 23rd 2021, 10:00 PM

    Housing for all my @ollix. O Brien is bluffing and is out of his depth and age mentality when he stated in Balbriggan that there will be ” hundreds of thousands” of social affordable housing units available for all. I would not believe Malahide residents in a very high crime area with a part time garda station would trust O Brien and his ilk after the fiasco of pedestrianisation of New Street and the issue of crime and anti social behaviour let alone housing. O Brien is a talker and a very good one but it’s all about ME and MY DEPARTMENT,Me,Me and I.

    1
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