1. Modular Wooden Housing & Ireland December 2017

2. Irish History Great Famine of 1845-49 Pre- famine pop 8m approx
Totally avoidable potato blight
Land = independence
70 million emigrant pop.

3. Fastest growing, most competitive economy in Eurozone
Fastest growing economy in Eurozone for past three years (2014 – 2016)
6th Most competitive economy in the world
GDP growth of 5.2% in 2016
Broad-based growth; consumer spend +3%, construction +11% and exports +3.2%, all contributing positively to growth.
Personal debt in Ireland at lowest level since 2005.
National and International forecasts predict strong GDP growth will continue in 2017. .
GDP Forecasts
2017
European Commission
4.0
Department of Finance
4.3
Central Bank of Ireland
3.5
IMF
OECD
3.2

4. New Population Dynamic – the ‘New Irish”
Proportionally Ireland has the 3rd highest international workforce in Europe. Today, 15% of Ireland’s workforce is international
Languages
Most spoken home language in Ireland (Census 2011)
1.English Polish 3.French
4.Irish 5.Lithuanian 6.German
7.Russian 8.Latvian 9. Slovak
Education
Children of first wave of migrants to Ireland in late 1990s / early 2000s are entering and graduating from universities in Ireland.

5. Committed Member of the EU
EU member since 1973.
Only English speaking country in the Eurozone.
Access to over 500 million EU consumers.
European labour force of over 250 million people.
Most competitive country in the Eurozone (IMD).
Most positive country about the EU*
2/3 of people in Ireland think Ireland is better off in the EU.
77% are optimistic about the future of the EU, the highest % in Europe* . (EU average 50%).
90% in favour of the free movement of EU citizens to live, work, study, do business in the EU* (EU average 81%).
*Eurobarometer November 2016

6. Ireland’s Brexit priorities for Northern Ireland & the Peace Process
To ensure that Brexit has a minimal impact on the reconciliation process within Northern Ireland, the Government has identified the following priorities:
Protect all provisions of the Good Friday Agreement.
Maintain EU support for Peace Process.
Avoid a hard border on the island.
Support continued North- South cooperation.
- From the Irish perspective, it is vital that all efforts are made in the Brexit negotiations to avoid anything which might undermine stability in Northern Ireland, and relations between North and South.
Political stability is fragile in Northern Ireland and cannot be taken for granted.
- The opening of the border is seen as one of the most tangible symbols of the peace process. Peace on the island has enabled political, social and economic development which, in turn, has reinforced the peace process. Ireland does not want to see a situation where the normalisation of people’s lives that has come with the peace process is undermined. That is why the objective of avoiding a hard border is so important.
- Ireland and the UK are currently partners in three cross-border Cooperation Programmes (€650 million over the period ). The programmes are an important practical support to the peace process and drive regional development in a constructive way that might not have been possible otherwise.
[For further detail on these objectives, refer to Chapter 3 of “Ireland and the negotiations on the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union: The Government’s Approach” or contact IUKA Division.]

7. 7/11/2017
Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness (July 2016)
Frank Flood
Ambassador of Ireland to Estonia

8. The Five Pillars of the Plan
Address
Homelessness
Accelerate
Social Housing
Build
More Homes
Improve the
Rental Sector
Utilise Existing
Housing

9. Resources?... Ring-fenced budget (€6 billon) 113 time bound actions
7/11/2017
Resources?...
Ring-fenced budget (€6 billon)
113 time bound actions
450+ posts in local authorities
Strategic Housing Development Unit in An Bord Pleanála ( National Planning Board)
Re-configured Ministry (Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government)
Housing Delivery Office established
Governance - Cabinet Committee & implementation structures.

10. Pillar 1 – Address Homelessness
Measures in place
3,000 sustainable exits in 2016 (up 31% on 2015),
Over 2000 to end-June 2017
Funding of €98m in 2017 and €116m in 2018
206 additional beds in temporary supported accommodation
10 operational family hubs in Dublin families.
Another 5 by year-end families.
Cork, Limerick & Galway,
Rapid Build Programme advancing in 2016; 650 in 2017; 500 in 2018.
Targeted supports – welfare, mental health, addictions.
Reformed Mortgage to Rent
RI Review – New Measures
A Homeless Inter-Agency Group
Director of Housing First
Minister of State English will lead a new delivery team in his Department

11. Pillar 2 – Accelerate Social Housing
Measures in place
Social Housing Construction Programme 11,000 homes 700 projects
19,055 households had their social housing needs met in 2016
5,724 homes built, refurbished, leased or acquired
12,075 HAP tenancies
1,256 Rental Accommodation Scheme
€1.3bn - 21,000 households in 2017
Housing Assistance Payments (HAP) €153m 2017
Streamlined approval process
Choice-based letting to streamline and speed up social housing lettings
RI Review – New Measures
Policy shift to direct build c.3000 to c3,800 up 30%.
Over 30,000 new social homes will be constructed.
Extra €500 million 47,000 to 50,000 homes
€1.9 billion in 2018
HAP €300m

12. Pillar 3 - Build More Homes
Measures in place:
Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund - €226m -34 sites 70% with homes sub €320k -23,000 new homes by 2021
Fast-track planning (100+ houses) An Bord Pleanála – 4,000
State Housing Supply Land Map - 1,700 hectares
Strategic Plans prepared by local authorities
Two major State-owned sites in Dublin have been brought to market to deliver over 1,500 mixed tenure, social and affordable housing;
Further actions/issues signalled
New actions on affordability measures - key priority is delivery of homes that are affordable to build, affordable to buy and affordable to rent.
Budget 2018
Another €50m LIHAF
€25m serviced sites – affordable housing
Build to Rent Group
€750 million of ISIF funds will be allocated to HBFI to provide funding on market terms - 6,000 homes
Objective
Increase the output of private housing to meet demand at affordable prices
11/12/2018

13. Pillar 4 – Rental Sector Objective
Measures in place
Strategy for Rental Sector published in December 2016
Rent Pressure Zones, 4%; 3 years; 57% of tenancies
10 or more units - tenants remaining in situ
Standards for Rented Houses Regulations 2017
RTB stronger role - tenants and landlords.
Student Accommodation Strategy (July 2017)
Budget 2017 measures to support rental sector
Mortgage interest relief for landlords restored from 75% to 80% (100% relief to be phased over 5 years)
Living City Initiative extended to Landlords
Rent-a-room tax credit ceiling increased from €12k to €14k.
Further action/issues signalled
New RPZ Areas
Definition of Substantial Refurbishment & Guidance – Published 23 November
Short-Term Lettings
A Proper Regulator for the Rental Sector
Homelessness and Prevention
Landlord specific measures
Deposits
Objective
Address the obstacles to greater private rented sector delivery, to improve the supply of units at affordable rents

14. Pillar 5 – Vacant Housing
Measures in place
Better management of social housing - re-letting and choice-based letting.
Bringing vacant private units into social use
Repair and Lease Scheme in place - €140m over 5 years to bring 3,500 vacant private houses into social housing use
Buy and Renew Scheme (€25m for 2017) to enable LAs/AHBs to buy and repair private units
Housing Agency purchasing vacant stock held by financial bodies [1,600 units - €70m revolving fund]
Maximising use of homes in Unfinished Developments as part of resolving 420 remaining former ghost estates.
Initial actions under the Vacant Homes Strategy:
Empty Homes Unit in Department and Empty Homes Officers in each LA to coordinate identification and re-use of vacant properties.
launched
Urban LAs preparing vacant homes plans by October – setting targets.
Objective
Ensure that existing housing stock is used to the maximum degree possible – focussing on measures to use vacant stock to renew urban and rural areas

15. Are we making progress?
Social Housing Construction Programme of 11,000+ units
Housing Assistance Payment – 12,000 tenancies in 2016
Positive impact on supply evident
19,246 planning permissions to end June 2017  49%
17,151 commencement notices to end October 2017  37%
Scheme housing – 9,441 homes registered to end Oct 86%
18,197 homes connected to the grid to end October 2017  26%
Mortgage drawdowns to end June 2017, for first time buyers  24% and for mover-purchasers  8%
CSO’s Q residential sector growth of 21% in volume and 23% in value

16. More information at www. rebuildingireland
More information at @RebuildingIRL #RebuildingIreland
Address
Homelessness
Accelerate
Social Housing
Build
More Homes
Improve the
Rental Sector
Utilise Existing
Housing

17. Modular wooden building regulations
Need to meet aggregate national building regulations in line with National Standards of Ireland.
May need a technical review
Have European technical approval Irish compliance including:
Moisture issues to allow for severe rain exposure
Ventilation to avoid decomposition
Durability of 60 years
Fire resistance
Mandatory renewable requirement – very high standards

18. Aitah - Thank you