The Cabinet today (Thursday 4 May) agreed the publication of the Residential Construction Cost Study Report, a joint initiative of the Construction Sector Group and the government under the Housing for All strategy. The study promotes measures for a reduction in residential construction cost and increased standardisation in residential construction activities. The study is another component of the Housing for All plan – specifically dealing with productivity, cost reduction and innovation in the construction sector to help make the delivery of housing more economically sustainable in the long-term. These actions complement a range of other actions in Housing for All to help achieve economic sustainability including the development of Modern Methods of Construction and the establishment of ‘ConstructInnovate’, the new construction technology centre hosted by University of Galway. Welcoming the report, Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien, said: “While we are focused on many of the immediate challenges we are facing in housing, we are also committed to developing a long term robust construction sector which develops an improved and sustainable housing market in terms of volume and value. This report is an important contribution to that work. “I’d like to thank all from the Construction Sector – including representatives from the Society of Chartered Surveyors of Ireland (SCSI), Royal Institute of Architects of Ireland (RIAI), Construction Industry Federation(CIF) and Local Government Management Agency LGMA), the Construction Sector Group (CSG) – and the wide range of industry, local government and public sector participants who gave their time and expertise to this study and I look forward to continuing collaboration with them throughout the development and implementation of these actions.” With regard to residential development, construction costs consisting mainly of direct materials and labour account for about 50% of total development costs. This study is focused on the construction costs only and acknowledges work which has been done, and further work to be done, in examining the other 50% of development costs, which as sometimes referred to as soft costs (for example: site acquisition costs, professional fees, cost of financing, margins, VAT, marketing). The study undertook an international comparative approach using four Irish case study projects – a semi-detached three-bedroomed scheme house, a suburban apartment building, an urban apartment building and a purpose-built student accommodation building. Costs in Dublin were compared with Birmingham, Berlin, Copenhagen and Utrecht. A number of findings were made and are detailed in the full report, along with recommendations and actions for implementation. When costed in the European comparator cities the cost of constructing the same apartment was broadly the same. The cost of building the same house was 15% less in Birmingham. Proposed actions to reduce construction costs are related to specification (standardisation, typologies and finishes) and scope of works (fixtures and fittings, appliance) and size and are laid out in detail within the report. A collaborative approach with industry to develop standardised approaches for housing design and construction which can inform the design of policy initiatives and be used as best practice by industry is proposed by the actions to realise the cost reduction opportunities identified by the report. A total of €523,000 – through 142 individual grants – has been awarded from the Community Water Development Fund, to support local community efforts to enhance water quality in streams, rivers, lakes, and coastal areas around the country.
The fund is administered by the Local Authority Waters Programme (LAWPRO) with funding provided by the Department of Housing, Local Government, and Heritage. The funding follows the 2023 open call that saw 142 successful applications from across the country. First introduced in 2018, this fund supports the delivery of projects and initiatives by local communities and groups that aim to enhance local water bodies to benefit water quality, biodiversity, and communities. The number of applications received by LAWPRO has increased steadily since the grant scheme was first introduced. Commenting on the announcement the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien, TD said: “These Community Water Development Fund grants will support local communities and groups to deliver projects that enhance the quality of local streams, rivers, lakes, and coastal areas. The fund is a fantastic support to encourage communities to take positive actions for water quality and biodiversity in their local area and recognises the great local initiatives led by communities to take care of water bodies in their local area.” The total amount sought in 2023 was twice the grant amount available. This has been an ongoing trend in recent years and is considered a good indication of the growth in the number of community groups developing and leading on projects that enhance the quality of local water bodies, Commenting on the 2023 applications, Anthony Coleman, Director of LAWPRO said, “The standard of applications was very high this year and we were delighted to see the scale of ambition and enthusiasm from local activists throughout the country. Congratulations to those great projects who have been awarded a grant and to those who were not successful this time, I would encourage you to maintain contact with your local Community Water Officer, to keep developing new proposals and projects, and to apply when the next round of funding is available.” Minister of State for Planning and Local Government Kieran O’Donnell TD said: “I welcome the collaborative approach led by the Department, the Local Authority Waters Programme, and all 31 local authorities with relevant State agencies, other stakeholders and local communities with the shared goal of meeting the requirements of the EU Water Framework Directive to have all natural waters at a good standard by 2027. This year we’ve seen Tidy Towns Committees, Community Groups, Scouts and GAA clubs awarded funding through this scheme to make improvements to their local waters and it’s heartening to see such strong representation from throughout all of our local authorities.” Types of projects approved for funding this year include:
This year, an additional €20,000 was awarded as part of the Blue Dot Catchments Programme. The Blue Dot Award for 2023 was shared between two groups; IRD Duhallow in County Cork and Camross Tidy Towns, Co. Laois. Blue Dots are catchments which are mostly unpolluted and contain Ireland’s best quality waters. Minister of State for Heritage and Electoral Reform Malcolm Noonan, TD added, “I want to congratulate IRD Duhallow and Camross Tidy Towns as they share the Blue Dot Award and commend all the successful applicants who will receive funding, and delivering our targets under UN Sustainable Development Goal 6 - Clean Water and Sanitation. Healthy, clean water is essential not just to communities but to sustain the plants and animals that depend upon sustainably managed water.” Full details of grants awarded are available online at www.lawaters.ie and www.catchments.ie 12,300 older and disabled people to benefit from €83 million Housing Adaptation Grant funding2/5/2023
The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien, and the Minister of State for Local Government and Planning, Kieran O’Donnell, have today (1 May 2023) announced €83.125 million in national funding for Housing Adaptation Grants for Older and Disabled people for 2023.
This is a 2.3% increase on the initial 2022 funding allocation and represents a continuation of the year-on-year increases in the grant since 2014. The 2023 funding allocation is expected to result in some 12,300 grants for older people and disabled people, to facilitate them living independently in their own homes. Announcing the funding today, Minister O’Brien said: “I am delighted to allocate increased funding in 2023 to deliver 12,300 Housing Adaptation Grants for Older and Disabled people. This allocation will build on the success of last year where we exceeded the number of home adaptations initially targeted. We want to empower and enable people to live independently in their own homes for as long as possible – these grants help us to do just that. They also provide a boost to local economies, creating employment opportunities for local contractors.” Grants of up to €30,000 are available to assist disabled people in carrying out necessary works to make a house more suitable for their needs. Additionally, grants of up to €8,000 are available to assist older people to have necessary repairs or improvements carried out on their homes. Grants of up to €6,000 are available for mobility aids. The funding announced today, which supports home adaptations for older people, those with a disability and people with mobility issues, provides 80% Exchequer funding through the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. The remaining 20% in funding comes from the relevant local authority. |
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November 2023
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