Minister Browne convenes inaugural meetings of new Housing Activation Delivery and Industry Groups to unlock infrastructure barriers
- Published on: 6 November 2025
- Last updated on: 6 November 2025
Both groups will support the work of the Housing Activation Office to remove barriers and accelerate housing supply
The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, James Browne TD, today convened the inaugural meetings of two new high-level groups, the Housing Activation Delivery Group and the Housing Activation Industry Group, established to accelerate housing delivery and ensure public infrastructure keeps pace with housing demand.
The launch of both Groups, which will be chaired by Minister Browne, follows the establishment of the Housing Activation Office (HAO) earlier this year, a key Government commitment designed to coordinate investment in infrastructure needed to unlock housing on key sites nationwide.
Speaking at the launch, Minister Browne said:
“Delivering homes at the scale we need requires closer alignment across Government and tighter collaboration between the public and private sectors. The new Housing Activation Delivery and Industry Groups will ensure that infrastructure, policy and delivery partners are working together in a coordinated and transparent way to remove barriers and accelerate housing supply.
“The Housing Activation Office kicked off its ambitious work in March and the team has met every single local authority to assess blockages to the delivery of homes at scale. The office is staffed with secondees from across industry and infrastructure at a high level so that what we do is joined up and laser focused on accelerating delivery. I want this team to identify blockages and drive solutions where they are needed.
“Soon, we will have a new head of the Housing Activation Office appointed but, in the meantime, the work continues and the groups launched today – with their considerable skills and experience - will support the work of the Housing Activation Office across agencies and sectors.”
Housing Activation Delivery Group
The Housing Activation Delivery Group brings together senior leadership from key Government Departments and infrastructure agencies to oversee and support the work of the Housing Activation Office. The Group will drive the development and implementation of a coordinated programme of public infrastructure investment to unlock key housing sites across the country.
The Delivery Group will monitor progress, support the delivery of the new Housing Infrastructure Investment Fund under the National Development Plan, and promote accountability and shared responsibility across all partners involved in housing-enabling infrastructure.
Housing Activation Industry Group
The Housing Activation Industry Group will provide a structured forum for regular engagement between the Minister and industry representative bodies on infrastructure coordination and housing activation.
The Group will share insights from industry, identify emerging challenges, and support the Housing Activation Office in developing collaborative, practical solutions to delivery barriers.
Next steps
The Housing Activation Office will now finalise the details of the Housing Infrastructure Investment Fund, ahead of its launch later this year, and will continue engagement with local authorities and infrastructure providers to identify priority projects.
Minister Browne concluded:
“Both the Delivery and Industry Groups are central to ensuring that the State and industry are working together towards a single shared goal, accelerating housing delivery. This is about coordination, communication, and commitment at every level to get homes built where they are needed most.”
“Today marks the start of a more joined-up approach to housing delivery, one that connects Government decision-making with real-world challenges, delivering results – and new homes – for our citizens.”
ENDS
Notes to Editors
The Housing Activation Office
The Programme for Government 2025 Securing Ireland’s Future, proposed the establishment of a Strategic Housing & Infrastructure Delivery Office under the Minister for Housing to help: coordinate and accelerate home building by unblocking infrastructure delays; and coordinate investment in servicing zoned land.
The Housing Activation Office (HAO) is the delivery mechanism for this commitment. The HAO includes senior experts from Uisce Éireann, ESB Networks, the National Transport Authority, Transport Infrastructure Ireland, and the local government sector.
Download Housing Activation Office Terms of Reference
Membership of the Housing Activation Delivery & Industry Groups
The minutes of both the Delivery Group and Industry Group meetings will be published on the Department’s website within six months of agreement.
Both groups will be chaired by the Minister of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and will comprise of the following members.
Housing Activation Delivery Group Members
- Secretary General, Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (DHLGH)
- Secretary General, Department of the Taoiseach
- Secretary General, Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation
- Secretary General, Department of Transport
- Secretary General, Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment
- Secretary General, Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht
- CEO of Uisce Éireann,
- Managing Director of ESB Networks,
- CEO of Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII)
- CEO of National Transport Authority (NTA)
- CEO of EirGrid
- CEO of Land Development Agency (LDA)
- Chairperson of County and City Management Association (CCMA)
Housing Activation Industry Group Members
- Secretary General, Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (DHLGH)
- Pat Farrell – CEO of Irish Institutional Property (IIP)
- Andrew Brownlee – CEO of Construction Industry Federation (CIF)
- Stephen McCarthy – President of Construction Industry Federation (CIF)
- Michal Prenty – President of Irish Home Builders Association (IHBA)
- Conor O’Connell – Director of Housing, Planning and Development services of Construction Industry Federation (CIF)
- David Howard – Director of Property Industry Ireland of IBEC
- Aidan Sweeney – Head of Infrastructure and Environment Sustainability of IBEC
- Ivan Gaine – Chairperson Property Industry Ireland
Details of the Housing Activation Office were announced by the Minister on 29 April 2025.