Apartment subsidy scheme lures developers, says housing minister

Darragh O’Brien states builders are interested in taking part in the Government’s Croi Conaithe scheme for affordable apartments

A Government scheme to boost the development of affordable apartments has drawn interest from builders, according to Darragh O’Brien, Minister for Housing. Photograph: Tom Honan
A Government scheme to boost the development of affordable apartments has drawn interest from builders, according to Darragh O’Brien, Minister for Housing. Photograph: Tom Honan

A Government scheme to boost the development of affordable apartments has drawn interest from builders, according to Darragh O’Brien, Minister for Housing.

Earlier this month the Government launched the Croi Conaithe scheme to subsidise the cost of building apartments in cities.

Mr O’Brien told the Urban Land Institute Ireland conference on Thursday that developers have expressed “a lot of interest” in the scheme since.

The scheme is meant to bridge the gap between the cost of building apartments and what buyers can afford.

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Most apartments cost more than €400,000 to build, around €100,000 more than most buyers can pay.

Architect Harry Browne told conference that while most new homes built in the Republic were aimed at traditional families, fewer than one third of households in the State were made up of three people.

Barry O'Halloran

Barry O'Halloran

Barry O’Halloran covers energy, construction, insolvency, and gaming and betting, among other areas