Irish property and construction news

Weekly Irish property market news and insights – for the industry, by the industry

*Note from the editor: This morning we need to start by thanking you all. Last year, Property District hit a new milestone across our brands – primarily iPropertyRadio and Irish Real Estate (Google News accredited since 2022) –  with almost 7.5 million digital impressions (not including radio listenership and website visits!), which is a huge reach for such a niche real estate and construction brand in Ireland. This is growing at pace and we are currently averaging 765,876 digital impressions each month. We are genuinely grateful to you all for your weekly and daily support, thank you.

Before we get stuck into the general property news of the week, below are the local and international stories that might be of particular interest:

Housing for All: Q4 2022 Progress Report published https://www.gov.ie/en/press-release/1792c-housing-for-all-q4-2022-progress-report-published/

Minister Donohoe launches updated Project Ireland 2040 Progress Tracker  https://www.gov.ie/en/press-release/ed922-minister-donohoe-launches-updated-project-ireland-2040-progress-tracker/

Green light for €450m state scheme subsidising private apartments: The Croí Cónaithe Cities scheme will provide builders with between €25,000 and €144,000 per unit https://www.businesspost.ie/news/green-light-for-e450m-state-scheme-subsidising-private-apartments/ (State media release: Minister O’Brien welcomes approval for scheme designed to deliver thousands of build-to-buy apartments  https://www.gov.ie/en/press-release/bd7cc-minister-obrien-welcomes-approval-for-scheme-designed-to-deliver-thousands-of-build-to-buy-apartments/)

Why builders won’t build in the middle of a housing crisis – Renovations are far more economically viable for builders but they are absorbing resources and making it increasingly hard to build new homes  https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/2023/02/11/cliff-taylor-boom-in-home-improvement-means-new-homes-arent-being-built/

Planners will face fines for missing deadlines under proposed new planning law  https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-41066312.html

An Bord Pleanála and planning regulator caution against fines for delayed decisions: Draft planning Bill includes penalties for failing to meet decision deadlines  https://www.irishtimes.com/ireland/housing-planning/2023/02/09/an-bord-pleanala-and-planning-regulator-caution-against-fines-for-delayed-decisions/

An Bord Pleanála being ‘overwhelmed’ with surge in judicial review cases https://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/planning-body-being-overwhelmed-with-surge-in-judicial-review-cases-1430194.html

An Bord Pleanála’s 15-person board down to six members: Between 700 and 800 planning decisions delayed due to lack of board members https://www.irishtimes.com/ireland/housing-planning/2023/02/09/an-bord-pleanalas-15-person-board-down-to-six-members/ Also: Homes on hold as not enough An Bord Pleanála board members to make decisions  https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-41067629.html

Planning change in bid to stop homeowners hiding extension notices from neighbours: An upcoming bill aims to stem complaints over hard-to-spot planning notices and would mirror rules in North and Britain – Proposed amendment to upcoming bill is that any homeowner or developer seeking planning permission would have to contact all the immediate neighbours, rather than just erecting notices outside their homes https://www.businesspost.ie/politics/planning-change-in-bid-to-stop-homeowners-hiding-extension-notices-from-neighbours/

Increasing spending on Housing Assistance Payment is a bad sign: ‘We need both wage increases and serious efforts to bring down the cost of housing,’  https://www.irishexaminer.com/business/economy/arid-41065418.html

What’s Next For The Multifamily Industry? https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesbusinesscouncil/2023/02/10/whats-next-for-the-multifamily-industry/

10 of Ireland’s best buildings, from prehistory to the 21st century: As entries open for the RIAI Awards 2023, we nominate contenders for an all-time list of the best Irish architecture  https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/art/2023/02/06/10-of-irelands-best-buildings-from-prehistory-to-the-21st-century/

Growing unease over Chinese domination of applications to Irish ‘golden visa’ scheme: Anxiety in Government as all but 41 of 1,316 applications last year came from people in China amid geopolitical tumult  https://www.irishtimes.com/ireland/2023/02/07/growing-unease-over-chinese-domination-of-applications-to-irish-golden-visa-scheme/

Fear shortfall of surveyors will impact Ireland’s housing and construction output: Room at the table for 1,100 more surveyors by 2026, the mammoth ‘Burlo’ gathering of 1,300 SCSI diners hears  https://www.irishexaminer.com/property/commercial/arid-41067182.html

Going is good for Paddy Jordan, the agent behind some of Ireland’s most lucrative stud sales: Stud farms for oil-rich sheikhs, mansions for media moguls, humble three-bed semi-Ds: Paddy Jordan has bought and sold them all in the course of a storied career  https://www.irishtimes.com/property/residential/2023/02/08/you-have-to-meet-face-to-face-to-sell-a-house-you-cant-beat-meeting-people/

Leading estate agent Paul Grimes snr saw his family as his greatest achievement: Real Estate Alliance (REA) co-founder, who died on Sunday, excelled at building working relationships  https://www.irishtimes.com/property/residential/2023/02/09/leading-estate-agent-paul-grimes-snr-saw-his-family-as-his-greatest-achievement/

Radical thinking – Is living in an empty office the answer to the housing crisis? Remote work has emptied downtowns across the US – and that space could be used to create desperately needed affordable housing https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/feb/10/us-cities-affordable-housing-commercial-residential-buildings

Sarah Paulson Shows Off Her 500-Square-Foot Mobile Home in Malibu — See Inside! The beachside property is “tiny, tiny” in scale, says Paulson, but bold design choices give it major character  https://people.com/home/sarah-paulson-mobile-home-malibu-see-inside/

EU at 50: Ireland’s love affair with Europe is still going strong – but the potential for even greater success is still huge  https://m.independent.ie/business/irish/eu-at-50-irelands-love-affair-with-europe-is-still-going-strong-but-the-potential-for-even-greater-success-is-still-huge-42337242.html

Oireachtas body asked to examine immigrant investor programme: Sinn Féin TD Matt Carthy asked the Public Accounts Committee to discuss a number of issues as government considers suspending the scheme entirely  https://www.businesspost.ie/news/oireachtas-body-asked-to-examine-immigrant-investor-programme/

If you missed last week’s round-up, you can catch up here: https://propertydistrict.ie/sunday-roundup/

SUNDAY LISTEN

What started as #PropertyMatters, a single 60-minute show on Dublin South FM 93.9FM every Tuesday night, has now evolved into an online station hosting the very best construction, urban planning, property and proptech radio shows and podcasts from around the world. Our new website – produced by Hear Me Roar Media – offers audiences live and recorded access to global built environment content. To have your industry podcast included in the iPropertyRadio line-up, or to contribute as a guest on any of the show on iPropertyRadio.com, email hello@ipropertyradio.com

This week on iPropertyRadio…

Bringing Ireland’s Town Centres Back to Life

This week on ‘Property Matters’ on iPropertyRadio, host Carol Tallon is joined by Ali Harvey, founder of the Collaborate Town Centre Health Check  (CTCHC) Programme in the Heritage Council, to discuss the latest CTCHC research, current initiatives – including the vacant homes supports and other State initiatives dedicated to bringing unused properties back into use.

Watch back and listen back: https://ipropertyradio.com/property-matters/

ESG drivers – Greenwashing  – What technologies can make a difference?

In the iPropertyRadio.com Proptech Hot Seat with host Carol Tallon this week is Tim Streather, Managing Director of Spica Technologies, to discuss ESG drivers, including financial incentives, legislation and corporate PR/reputation building and management.

We also explore why there isn’t more being done today and what technologies can make a difference, with a focus on AI building automation.

Watch back and listen back: https://ipropertyradio.com/proptech-hot-seat/

Produced by Hear Me Roar Media https://hearmeroarmedia.com

PLACEMAKING

OPEN PUBLIC CONSULTATIONS AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

  • Event centre construction could start in Q2 of 2023: “We are currently working on completing our designs and costings for the event centre in conjunction with Live Nation, all going well we would hope to commence construction in the second quarter of 2023” https://www.echolive.ie/corknews/arid-41065712.html
  • Multi-million redevelopment of Crawford gets go-ahead from Council: The proposed redevelopment is a milestone project for the gallery, which hasn’t seen a significant State investment in over 20 years  https://www.echolive.ie/corknews/arid-41065544.html
  • Rare bee orchids creating quite a buzz in Midleton: The species of bee is set to be introduced at a new location by BAM and Cork County Council as part of infrastructural works currently underway in Water Rock, Midleton.  https://www.echolive.ie/corknews/arid-41065292.html

CONSTRUCTION & DEVELOPMENT NEWS

Mac Zero
Fennell Photography 2023

PROPTECH, ESG, MMC & CONSTRUCTION INNOVATION

  • Proptech Ireland is updating the database of 2023 Irish technology providers for the built environment – From smart design and planning right through to the smart property transaction, where does your Irish-led or Ireland-based proptech  or MMC business sit?  Pease take five minutes to add or update your details to our internationally-shared listing here: SIGN UP HERE: *https://prop-tech.ie/register/ *and email product or service details to hello@prop-tech.ie
  • The Irish Business Design Challenge (IBDC) is open to all micro, small and medium enterprises in Ireland that have designed sustainable products, services, or strategies that have benefited their customers, communities and the environment at large  https://www.dcci.ie/ibdc-2023 (deadline today!)

ENERGY, CLIMATE & ENVIRONMENT

RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY NEWS (including PRS)

COMMERCIAL PROPERTY NEWS

  • Lululemon, Doc Martens or toy giant Lego: New brands in the running for Cork’s St Patrick’s St: As Spanish chain Mango is set to open, a deal is being finalized to let the former Dorothy Perkins/Evans store and a new tenant is being sought for the former Oasis premises https://www.irishexaminer.com/property/commercial/arid-41067176.html

INTERNATIONAL PROPERTY NEWS

FACEBOOK GROUP FOR IRISH PROPERTY BUYERS & INVESTORS

Crowd-sourcing answers topical property questions:

As many of you might know, my annual property book The Irish Property Buyers’ Handbook (since 2011) was rebranded in 2018 and now appears as part of The Property Insider series, published by Oak Tree Press, the first three titles are now published and available here: https://www.amazon.com/Carol-Tallon/

From 2020, the publishers and I wanted to ensure the content remains topical and we are now doing this by crowd-sourcing home buyer and investor queries, with crowd-sourced and editorial team answers.

Join the Facebook Group here to contribute: https://www.facebook.com/groups/IrishPropertyBuyers/

How to buy property in ireland