€862m infrastructure programme approved to unlock capacity for 200,000 homes across Ireland
First 82 projects backed under €1 billion Housing Infrastructure Investment Fund will directly enable 86,000 homes and create potential for a further 113,000 homes through roads, utilities, transport and servicing infrastructure
16 June 2026 | editor@breakingground.news
The Government has announced the first 82 projects to receive support under the new €1 billion Housing Infrastructure Investment Fund (HIIF), with the programme expected to directly unlock land for approximately 86,000 homes and create capacity for a further 113,000 homes nationwide.
The projects represent the first tranche of investment from the multi-annual fund established under Delivering Homes, Building Communities 2025–2030 and administered by the Housing Activation Office within the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.
According to the Department, the approved projects have a combined estimated value of approximately €862 million and are intended to remove infrastructure constraints that have prevented housing development on zoned and serviced lands across the country.
Minister for Housing James Browne said the fund was specifically designed to address one of the most persistent barriers to housing delivery: the absence of enabling infrastructure.
“Across the country, we see zoned land lying idle because the critical enabling infrastructure needed to support housing development is not in place,” he said.
The 82 successful projects were selected from 138 applications submitted by local authorities and the Land Development Agency (LDA) following the launch of the fund in January 2026.
The Housing Infrastructure Investment Fund represents one of the largest dedicated housing infrastructure programmes introduced in Ireland in recent years. Unlike traditional housing funding streams, the HIIF focuses on roads, bridges, water services, drainage systems, active travel infrastructure, parks and utility upgrades that are required before housing construction can commence.
The projects are spread across every region of the country, with significant allocations directed towards major urban growth areas including Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick, Waterford and regional towns identified for substantial housing growth.
Among the largest strategic projects approved is the Carrigtwohill Housing Activation Scheme in Cork, a package of 25 infrastructure projects designed to support the town’s Urban Expansion Area. The scheme alone is expected to directly unlock 2,747 homes and indirectly facilitate a further 1,646 homes.
Another major Cork project, the Waterrock Urban Expansion Area Phase 2 Housing Activation Scheme, is projected to directly unlock 3,804 homes and indirectly facilitate an additional 1,600 homes through investment in transport links, a rail overbridge and associated infrastructure.
In Dublin, significant investment is being directed towards strategic growth locations. The Sandyford Civic Park project in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown is expected to directly unlock 3,630 homes and indirectly support another 3,820 homes, while the Old Connaught M11 Bridge and associated infrastructure could directly facilitate 3,690 homes and indirectly support a further 6,430 homes.
The Dunsink Lands infrastructure project in Fingal is among the most strategically significant investments announced. The scheme is expected to directly unlock 2,500 homes while creating capacity for a further 20,000 homes on one of the State’s largest strategic housing landbanks.
Galway’s Ardaun urban expansion area, long identified as a key growth location for the city, will receive support for infrastructure works expected to directly unlock 2,500 homes and indirectly support a further 5,000 homes.
The programme also includes major investments linked to Land Development Agency projects. These include infrastructure works at Sandy Road in Galway, Castlelands in Balbriggan, North Quays in Waterford, Colbert Quarter in Limerick and Summerstown Road in Cork, all intended to accelerate delivery of affordable, cost-rental and social housing developments.
Several projects are focused on unlocking new urban districts and strategic growth areas already identified in development plans. These include Confey in Leixlip, Naas Northwest Quadrant, Cherrywood, Fassaroe in Bray, Dunsink in Dublin, Ardaun in Galway and Waterrock in Cork.
The Housing Activation Office will coordinate delivery with key infrastructure agencies including Uisce Éireann, ESB Networks, Transport Infrastructure Ireland and the National Transport Authority. The Department said complementary investment across water, energy and transport networks will be required to maximise housing delivery from the approved projects.
Minister of State for Planning and Local Government John Cummins described the programme as a “common sense approach” to housing delivery, highlighting the importance of removing infrastructure bottlenecks before development begins.
The Housing Activation Office was established under the Programme for Government to identify and remove infrastructure barriers delaying housing development. It includes senior personnel from Uisce Éireann, ESB Networks, Transport Infrastructure Ireland, the National Transport Authority and local government.
Funding will be allocated annually based on project progression through the public infrastructure project lifecycle, with the Department managing the programme at portfolio level. The approach mirrors funding models already used across major transport and infrastructure programmes.
The Department has indicated that future funding rounds will expand beyond local authorities and the Land Development Agency to include a broader range of public and private sector delivery partners.
The full list of 82 approved projects is available in the Department’s Housing Infrastructure Investment Fund Call 1 programme document:
