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Ireland’s Housing Minister James Browne has cancelled plans to deliver 486 social homes across six sites due to escalating costs, delaying projects that were near construction-ready under a public-private partnership (PPP) scheme.
The affected homes were part of PPP Bundle 3, with 244 units in Dublin and the remainder in Kildare, Wicklow, and Sligo. All six sites had full planning permission.
In a statement, Minister Browne said the decision was made on a “value for money basis” following a cost evaluation. The Department of Housing now plans to deliver the homes through an “alternative procurement and delivery strategy” and will review four additional upcoming PPP bundles.
The projects affected include:
- 68 homes, East Wall Road, Dublin 3
- 93 homes for older people, Shangan Road, Ballymun, Dublin 9
- 83 homes, Collins Avenue, Whitehall, Dublin 9
- 73 homes, Ardrew, Athy, Co. Kildare
- 106 homes, Burgage More, Blessington, Co. Wicklow
- 63 homes, Rathellen, Finisklin, Sligo
While the total cost was not disclosed, inflation and rising construction expenses have strained housing budgets. Previous PPP bundles cost €119 million and €129 million respectively, with per-unit costs reaching €277,000 (excluding VAT) in the most recent.
Opposition housing spokesperson Eoin Ó Broin (Sinn Féin) criticised the reliance on PPPs and urged the government to directly fund local councils to deliver the homes without delay.
The decision comes amid growing scrutiny of the government’s housing record. It missed its 2024 housing target by 10,000 homes and fell short of last year’s social housing target by 18% (2,345 homes).
Minister-for-Housing-Local-Government-and-Heritage-James-Browne-TD-Picture-on-Flickr- by European-Union Media Team
