5.1 Introduction

The provision of quality homes which provide for the needs of the city’s population and which contribute to the making of good, connected neighbourhoods is a key priority of the Development Plan. Housing completions in Dublin city rose to 7,746 units in 2006 and fell to 502 units in 2013.

Demand for social housing grew during the recession and output fell as a result of fewer Part V completions and pressure on exchequer funding. In this context, the Government issued Construction 2020 ‘A Strategy for a Renewed Construction Sector’, the Social Housing Strategy 2020, and the Planning and Development (Amendment) Act 2015.

The Planning and Development (Amendment) Act 2015 brought in significant changes to the provision of social housing under Part V, including the lowering of the potential obligation to 10% and limiting the application of Part V to developments of 10 or more units, with a view to stimulating housing construction and helping to make housing more affordable by matching housing supply with demand.

Construction 2020 established a roadmap to recovery including the creation of the housing supply co-ordination taskforce for Dublin. The housing market is now in the early stages of recovery and it is recognised that the delivery of quality housing in Dublin city is a key issue for our citizens and competitiveness.