This blog explores how very serious our housing delivery issues are while suggesting what the path forward needs to look like.  The implications for key decisions later today by the councillors should be obvious.

Later today, the Council will debate a number of motions that go to the heart of how we will build Limerick’s future. 

At their core, these votes ask a simple but profound question:

Will we accelerate the delivery of over 500 new homes—or make it harder or impossible to build them?

Because the reality we face is that.

Limerick is in a housing emergency.

This is not a slogan.
It is not a political position.

It is a fact.

Facing the Reality

We should begin with honesty.

Limerick has not delivered enough homes for years.

And the consequences are now clear:

• rising costs
• limited availability
• young people struggling to stay
• families unable to find suitable homes

This is not the result of one decision or one year.

It is the cumulative outcome of policy, budget and delivery choices over the past decade.

And now we must deal with that legacy.

I am prepared to continue working day and night to do my part to battle it.  Officials are also working hard to speed up delivery of good projects of scale.

Councillors can show they too are willing to play their part in that challenge by acting responsibly today and putting the advantages of seeing more housing delivery ahead of personal preferences or political gain. 

The Scale of the Challenge

To do that we must always be conscious of the scale of the challenge before us and how that should condition our approach.

The numbers are stark.

Across Limerick:

• We are short between 1,598 and 1,927 homes every year

Yet delivery across both private and public housing has been only:

• 672 homes in 2022
• 788 in 2023
• 1,003 in 2024
• 872 in 2025

Over four years, that totals just over 3,300 homes.

But what should have been delivered?

More than 10,000 homes.

Let that sink in.

We delivered roughly one-third of what was needed.

The cumulative effect of years of under-delivery is that our nationally mandated target for delivery of private and public housing has gone from 2,599 to closer to 4,000 homes EACH YEAR.

The easiest way to think of the scale of that is that the proposed Gasworks site on Limerick's Dock Road at up to 8 stories will deliver 285 units of high density housing.  To get to 4,000 homes, we'd be delivering 14 Gasworks Sites EACH YEAR. 

The Limerick Chamber presentation to the councillors last year gave us fair warning about the scale of the problem yet still we struggle to ramp up delivery across the system, with some councillors seemingly focused more on how to stop projects than working together to get them delivered.  

What the Government’s Own Analysis Shows

Last week I received another assessment which also confirmed my worst fears.  I would not disagree with the broad thrust and message in the report even if it makes for stark reading for Limerick.

Given the seriousness of the conclusions raised, quibbling about how some scores were applied to gain a little improvements in our ranking makes no sense and certainly would not change the main message.

The views are those of the Department of Housing which has reviewed Limerick’s performance.

The conclusions are clear:

• Only 56% of our social housing target will be delivered by 2026
• Limerick now ranks 31st out of 31 local authorities for social housing delivery over five years
• Delivery rates are falling, not improving
• The pipeline of future social housing projects at 884 is far too small

And it goes further.

• LCCC vacancy turnaround times at 58 weeks are significantly slower than average of 35 weeks, ranking us 28^th out of 31.
• Our vacancy rate on social housing stock puts us 27^th highest out of the 31 authorities.
• Costs per unit to do management and maintenance at €51,502 are among the highest in the country putting us 30^th of 31 authorities.
• The Department reckon that the “level invested suggests that the council has not sustained an appropriate level of property maintenance over the years, the stock has been let run down….”

In short:

We are not just behind—we are at or close to the bottom of the table on many indicators and a long way to go to get closer to or at the top where we should be.

That is not acceptable for Limerick’s ambition or potential.

What This Means

These figures are not abstract.

They mean:

• Fewer social and other homes built
• more pressure on rents
• fewer options for families
• greater inequality

And critically:

They mean that we now have to build faster—and at greater scale—than ever before.

There is no easy path back.

But there is a path.

A Way Forward

If we are serious about solving this emergency, we must change how we operate.

That means:

1. Building at scale
   Every viable site must be considered quickly and brought to planning decisions rapidly.
2. Moving faster
   Delays now have real human consequences and that should at least be factored into decisions to delay or have another workshop for further discussions.
3. Using innovation
   Modern construction methods must complement traditional approaches.
4. Investing more
   Including exploring greater borrowing capacity for our local authority where appropriate – several hundred of millions per annum.
5. Planning for everyone

• homeowners
• renters
• the “squeezed middle”
• older residents
• younger workers

Because:

Housing policy must serve the whole community—not one group over another.

Balancing Needs Fairly

This is where leadership matters most.

We must:

• respect existing communities
• listen to concerns
• ensure good design and amenities

But we must also recognise:

It is not sustainable to say “not here” everywhere and all of the time.

Because if homes are not built:

• somewhere else pays the price
• someone else is left without options

and we risk ending up with a real threat to social cohesion and we all lose out.

And often:

That “someone else” is invisible in local debates—but very real in our city.

The Decisions Before Us

Against this backdrop, the votes tomorrow take on real significance.

Two proposals in particular require careful consideration.

1.Toppins Field Proposal

A well-developed housing project is now at risk of becoming unviable through additional new requirements.

If that happens:

Homes that could be delivered will not be delivered.

And the opportunity will be lost.

2.Early Intervention Motions

More fundamentally, there is a proposal the implication of which would be to allow councillors to halt projects at a very early stage—

before full design, analysis or consultation is complete.

This raises a serious concern.

Because it would mean:

• Projects could be stopped to satisfy influential supporters before facts are established
• Decisions could be made without full information
• A small number of objections could prevent broader consideration

And crucially:

It would bypass the planning process designed to ensure fairness and proper scrutiny.

Why Process Matters

Our planning system exists for a reason.

It ensures:

• evidence is gathered
• impacts are assessed
• communities are consulted
• decisions are made with full visibility

It is not perfect.

But it is designed to balance competing needs fairly.

Replacing it with early councillor vetoes risks creating a system where:

• some voices are heard sooner
• others are never heard at all

That is not a direction we should take.

On Specific Projects

Let me be clear.

Supporting proper process does not mean every project must proceed.

It means:

Every project deserves to be properly examined before a decision is made.

That includes:

• understanding impacts
• addressing concerns
• seeing if there are cost-effective ways to improve design

And in some cases:

It may still mean not proceeding.

But we should reach that conclusion based on evidence—not assumption.

The Bigger Risk

The greatest risk we face is not to one individual development.

It is this:

That we continue with this approach to slow down delivery in a system already failing to deliver enough homes.

Because every delay:

• adds to the backlog
• increases costs
• deepens the crisis

And makes recovery harder.

Leadership and Responsibility

We must also be honest about where we stand.

The current position reflects years of under-delivery.

That is a shared institutional legacy.

But now:

Responsibility lies with all of us to find ways to change course.

This is not about:

• blame for its own sake
• or political point-scoring

It is about:

learning from what has not worked—and doing better.

A Call for Balance—and Progress

Tomorrow’s decisions are not easy.

They involve trade-offs.

They require judgment.

But they should be guided by a clear principle:

We must increase housing delivery—not restrict it further.

That means:

• allowing projects to be developed and assessed properly but not imposing too many demands on projects so as to make them undeliverable
• we need lots of housing of all types
• ensuring full information is available
• making decisions in the broader interest of Limerick

Conclusion: Choosing the Future

Limerick has enormous potential.

We are:

• growing
• attracting investment
• building a strong economy

But without housing:

That progress cannot continue.

So, the choice before us is clear.

We can:

• continue as we have—and fall further behind

Or we can:

act with urgency, embrace change, and deliver the homes our city needs.

This is a moment for leadership.

A moment for honesty.

And a moment for action.

Because:

Limerick does not need more delay.
It needs delivery

and all our decisions in the council should reflect that.