Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage announces appointment of Deputy Secretary General with responsibility for housing activation

The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage today announced that Mr Garret Doocey has been appointed as Deputy Secretary General with responsibility for housing activation.

Previously an Assistant Secretary in the Department of Transport, Mr Doocey was appointed following a recruitment process by Public Jobs in conjunction with the Civil Service’s Top Level Appointments Committee (TLAC).

Mr Doocey has held a number of roles in the Department of Transport in the Corporate, Maritime and Public Transport areas – including responsibility for major infrastructural programmes such as Bus Connects, Dart +, MetroLink and national roads. Prior to joining the Civil Service, he worked in the private sector and holds a MSc in Major Programme Management, a MSc in Economic Policy Studies and a MA in Public Management.

Reporting directly to the Secretary General, the Deputy Secretary General for Housing Activation will play a critical role in driving and coordinating the Government’s delivery of increased housing supply across all tenures. The role will also act as lead to the Housing Activation Office established last year by Minister James Browne.

Mr Doocey’s role is cross-cutting in nature, and is charged with ensuring policy across the Department’s remit is compatible with increasing housing supply and the objectives of Government.

The primary focus of the role will be on the Government’s role in creating the necessary conditions to facilitate the supply of housing, both public and private, and the urgent activation of key sites throughout the country by addressing infrastructure bottlenecks.

The Housing Activation office (HAO), which was established in April last year, will fall under the remit of the new Deputy Secretary General.

Since its establishment, the HAO has undertaken significant and ongoing engagement with stakeholders to identify and address infrastructure barriers to housing delivery and develop a coordinated programme of investment with key infrastructure agencies and the local government sector. The HAO team has held robust meetings with all local authorities countrywide.

A new multi-annual €1 billion Housing Infrastructure Investment Fund was launched by the Tánaiste and Minister James Browne on 21st January 2026 to support direct investment in housing-enabling public infrastructure and to accelerate housing delivery. The Housing Activation Office will manage this Fund.

The arrival of the Deputy Secretary will bring further laser-focus to this coordination.

ENDS