Ireland will need 600,000 new homes over the next nine years to keep pace with demand, it was claimed today.
Minister for Housing and Urban Renewal Noel Ahern
Speaking at the National Housing Conference in Dublin, Minister for Housing and Urban Renewal Noel Ahern said: "Meeting the housing needs of a growing population presents challenges. But it also provides a great opportunity to deliver new development of the highest physical and environmental quality."
Mr Ahern noted greater price moderation in many areas of the country. He said supply remains the key, and that although he expected a levelling-off of supply, estimates were that 600,000 new homes will be needed over the coming nine years.
Mr Ahern also announced his department's new housing design guidelines. He said the guidelines, Quality Housing for Sustainable Communities,would assist in achieving the objectives contained in the Government's recent housing policy statement - Delivering Homes, Sustaining Communities.
The Irish Council for Social Housing (ICSH) has welcomed the guidelines.
"In particular we welcome the commitment to the provision of 60,000 social homes and 40,000 affordable homes up to 2013," said Karen Murphy, ICSH head of services.
"There are currently over 43,000 families waiting for public housing, and this is growing every year, so we see this commitment as a crucial part of meeting housing needs over the next few years." she added.
The National Housing Conference, which has the theme "Transforming the Irish Housing Environment: Policy and Implementation," is held every second year and brings together housing practitioners from the public, private and voluntary housing sectors.