The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage has announced a significant expansion of the Land Development Agency’s (LDA) mandate, aimed at enhancing the delivery of affordable and social housing across Ireland. This development follows a review by the Cabinet Committee on Housing and is intended to align with national planning priorities for sustainable urban and regional development.
Key Measures
The expansion of the LDA’s role will be advanced through six principal measures:
Active land management and private housing delivery
The LDA will further develop its land bank, adopting active land management policies and delivering private housing in suitable locations, in addition to its existing focus on social and affordable housing.
Geographical expansion
The LDA’s operational remit will be broadened to cover a wider geographical area, enabling the Agency to support housing delivery in more communities nationwide.
Unlocking strategic public lands
A focus will be placed on unlocking key strategic public lands, particularly urban brownfield sites, through targeted infrastructure investment to facilitate housing development.
Amendments to land transfer provisions
Provisions of the LDA Act relating to the transfer of lands from commercial state bodies will be amended to expedite the development of suitable sites for housing.
Tax treatment of cost rental activity
The LDA will collaborate with the Department of Finance to address the tax treatment of its cost rental activities, with a view to supporting the viability and expansion of affordable rental housing.
Support for local authorities and master planning
The LDA will provide enhanced support to local authorities, the newly established Housing Activation Office, and relevant government departments in master planning and infrastructure provision for new towns and districts.
Implementation and Next Steps
The Cabinet Committee on Housing has agreed in principle to these recommendations. Relevant Government departments, the LDA, and the Housing Activation Office will now work together to advance the necessary actions and develop detailed proposals for Cabinet approval and implementation.
We will provide further information in due course but please feel free to direct any queries in the meantime to Aoife Smyth, Knowledge Consultant, or your usual ALG Real Estate contact.