Single Stage Approval Process will Speed up Social Housing Delivery in Cork

Social housing delivery will accelerate in Cork following the commencement of a standardised design and single stage approval process for local authorities, Cork North West Fine Gael TD John Paul O’Shea has said.

Deputy O’Shea said all new proposals for new-build social housing projects up to €200 million will move to a single approval process and replace the current 4-stage.

The new system will also introduce standardised design and specifications across all projects. These reforms will cut delays, streamline delivery and accelerate the construction of new social homes.

Deputy O’Shea said “This new single approval process will remove unnecessary delays and create a clearer, faster pathway for delivering social homes. Standardised design and specifications will drive greater efficiency, improve consistency and ensure better value for money, meaning more high‑quality homes can be delivered sooner for those who need them. For communities, this means homes are delivered sooner and for the State, it means better value for money.

“Fine Gael has been clear that delivery is what matters most and reforming how we plan, approve and build social housing is central to that commitment. This is about practical reform, real delivery and meeting the housing needs of families now and into the future,” concluded Deputy O’Shea.

This Government’s Housing Action Plan – Delivering Homes, Building Communities – provides clear targets for local authorities to scale-up social housing delivery, increasing from an average of 8,000 over recent years to an average of 12,000 per year, delivering 72,000 new social homes during the lifetime of the plan. 

This streamlined approval process will remove the requirement for additional detailed submissions for review and approval throughout the project lifecycle; and lead to quicker sign off on project proposals from the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.