The Irish Homebuilders Association, of the CIF, is inviting all new TDs and local politicians to a series of regional roadshows.  The purpose of these meetings is to inform politicians about the specific challenges preventing homebuilding in their areas.

Director of Housing, Planning and Development with CIF, James Benson said: “The reality is that homebuilders face multiple barriers preventing them from building the numbers of homes people require. These barriers are the reason people can’t secure homes, rents are high, social housing lists are swelling and more and more young couples are in ‘rental purgatory’.  Housing was the key issue in the last election so it’s vital that whoever forms the next Government understand the challenges on the front-line of housing delivery in Ireland today.

“We’re inviting local politicians and TDs to attend and hear first-hand some of the barriers facing homebuilders.  The workshops will also provide the latest information on all housing and planning issues to ensure that companies are up to date with changes in legislation and regulation prior to engagement with statutory agencies.”

Chairman of the Irish Home Builders Association (IHBA) Neil Durkan said: “Any homebuilder is welcome to attend the Irish Home Builders Association regional Workshops and they will provide really valuable insights into the current issues blocking supply.

“The key challenge facing the industry is the fact that young people can’t secure mortgages. Many would be buyers have been forced into longer term rental with very little prospect of saving for a deposit due to tighter central bank fiscal policies. This means there are fewer couples that could buy a home. As a result, banks are limited in lending to home-builders so they can’t build and supply remains low.

“On the other side, the cost of construction is too high due to the Government tax take on every home built.  This means higher prices in Dublin and little or no homebuilding outside the capital.

“The tax take by Government means that as our industry strives to play its role in addressing climate concerns and builds better quality more energy efficient homes, additional regulation makes homebuilding even more expensive and this is impacting on supply.”

Paul McDonnell, Head of Property Finance Group, Corporate Banking, Bank of Ireland, event sponsors 2020, said: “Bank of Ireland is delighted to partner with the Construction Industry Federation and Irish Home Builders Association on these workshops. Accelerating housing supply is critical for the wellbeing of society and the future success of the country. Bank of Ireland will continue to support developers of all scales nationally. We hope you find these workshops enjoyable and informative and our team looks forward to meeting you there.”

Chairman of the Irish Home Builders Association (IHBA) Neil Durkan said:

“We need a scheme to assist the first-time buyers to get on the property ladder.  We believe a Shared Equity Scheme whereby the Government take an equity stake in new homes with the first-time buyer effectively repaying the loan over a defined term. This will help buyers to bridge the gap between the restricted lending terms a bank can offer and the difficulties buyers are having saving a deposit.

“Our message to politicians from every party is without a Shared Equity Scheme many more people will be forced into long term rental and increase the numbers forced onto social housing lists. The clock is already ticking for the next Government, if they don’t remove some of these barriers, housing supply will not increase and they will have to face an electorate that has lost patience with the system when it comes to housing.” 

The IHBA workshops will include presentations and expert panel discussion including representatives from industry, Bank of Ireland the Office of Planning Regulator, Irish Water and ESB Networks.  

Each session will run through the technical issues of various topics from Building Regulations, Planning & Development, Finance, Utilities, C&D Waste.

The Workshops are open to members and non-members and will provide an opportunity for updates on the regulatory and economic environment affecting homebuilders.

IHBA Regional Housing Workshops 2020  – Dates – Venues -Times
 

CIF