The Pat Kenny Show James Browne TD, Minister on the new housing plan
Nov 13, 2025
James Browne TD, a Fianna Fáil politician and Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, discusses the newly launched housing plan aiming for 300,000 homes by 2030. He dives into removing barriers like over-regulation and assures planning stability for developers. Browne emphasizes the importance of modern construction methods to boost industry capacity and talks about reforms in the rental sector. He also highlights plans for modular homes and state purchases of second-hand homes to activate supply.
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Scale Up Housing Delivery
- James Browne argues Ireland must increase annual housing delivery from ~30,000 to hit 300,000 by 2030.
- He frames the plan around activating supply and supporting people exiting or preventing homelessness.
Policy Can Change The Forecast
- Browne rejects the Department of Finance's 'no-change' forecast and says policy levers will alter the outlook.
- He emphasises making developments viable so permissions turn into built homes.
Over-Regulation Hindered Building
- Browne says over-regulation and procedural complexity have strangled delivery despite past capacity.
- His response is 'simplification and standardisation' to restore a more straightforward system.