Minister Eoghan Murphy appoints John Coleman as Land Development Agency Chief Executive

Eoghan Murphy, T.D., Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government, today (30th September 2019) announced that he has appointed Mr. John Coleman as CEO of the Land Development Agency ("LDA"). Mr. Coleman's appointment was recommended following an open recruitment process.

John Coleman has been Chief Executive of the Land Development Agency on an interim basis since its inception in September 2018. He previously held senior roles, including Chief Financial Officer, at the National Asset Management Agency (NAMA), and worked extensively on the set up of its Residential Delivery Division. John is a graduate of University College Dublin (B. Comm) and a chartered accountant (FCA). Prior to joining NAMA in 2011, he worked in banking and accountancy.

Commenting on the appointment, Minister Murphy said: “I am delighted to have someone of John Coleman's experience and expertise to lead the Agency in its crucial formative years. The work of the Land Development Agency will be a game changer for the transformation of our cities and major towns. With the LDA, we have a new State body with access to the lands, the capital, the skills and the mandate to lead the development of the State’s land bank for the common good. With John as CEO, we have someone who has the necessary experience and skillset to lead the team to deliver on this important project. John has been leading the work under the LDA for some months now and I wish him every success in the months and years ahead.”

John Moran, Chair of the LDA, in welcoming the appointment, said “The LDA has been progressing sites across the country for the last number of months and this appointment is another step in progressing a critically important national agency which will play a vital role in the development of state lands and housing across the country. As Chair I have been impressed with John’s leadership during his time as interim CEO and wish him well over the coming years.”

John Coleman, LDA CEO said: “I am delighted and honoured that Minister Murphy, the Chairman John Moran and the Board of the LDA has entrusted me with this critically important and exciting task. I look forward to capitalising on the extensive establishment and preparatory work that we have carried out at the LDA in 2019 by advancing the delivery of much needed new homes on State land. I am grateful for the continued support of the Minister, the Chairman and Board of the LDA, and also our growing LDA team.”

The focus of the LDA over the last number of months has been on the 8 sites in the initial portfolio and identifying the best route to delivering homes and supporting development on these sites in an expeditious and sustainable way. The LDA has already advanced preliminary feasibility work on all 8 sites that have the capacity to deliver approximately 3,000 new homes. Having now completed the initial feasibility work, professional teams have been appointed to advance planning applications for 3 of the sites, including Skerries, north county Dublin (around 250 homes), the former St Kevin’s Hospital in Cork city (around 200 homes) and the former Devoy Barracks in Naas, county Kildare (around 200 homes). In additional to the eight initial sites, the LDA is working in partnership with Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council to deliver approximately 600 social and affordable homes in Shanganagh, Shankill, South County Dublin.