Council News
Galway’s Murrough Lands Vision: 2,500 New Homes, a Proposed Rail Station and a City Planning for Its Future
Galway City Council has published a draft urban design vision for the Murrough Lands proposing up to 2,500 new homes and a proposed new rail station on the city’s eastern coast. Public consultation is open, the rezoning is progressing through the City Development Plan, and the council’s 2026 budget has named Murrough a priority local area plan. Alongside a citywide programme of 2,440 social and affordable homes and the ongoing redevelopment of Ceannt Station, the vision sets out how Galway intends to grow in a connected and orderly way. Here is what is in train.
Cork City Council’s Delivery Plan: Building Homes, Connecting Communities and Shaping the City’s Future
Valerie O'Sullivan has set out clear priorities after taking over as Cork City Council's Chief Executive: delivering homes, supporting regeneration and connecting a growing city. Cork's position in 2026 brings together a credible plan, meaningful funding commitments and projects moving from paper to ground. From new docklands neighbourhoods to transport and cultural investment, the council's programme offers a practical framework for long-term growth. The first housing milestones give that ambition a tangible starting point, while the wider programme sets out the infrastructure and partnerships needed to build on it. Here is how the work is taking shape.
Four Councils, Four Programmes, One Moment: Ireland's Biggest Local Authorities Are All Building at the Same Time
Four of Ireland's biggest local authorities are spending real money, on real projects, right now. Dublin City, Fingal, Galway and Cork are simultaneously executing capital programmes of a scale that would have been unthinkable a decade ago. Here is how they compare — and what it means.
Fingal Is Building at a Scale Ireland Has Never Seen From a County Council — and It's Only Getting Started
Fingal County Council has 121 capital projects worth €730 million on site right now and a three-year programme of €1.43 billion covering 309 projects. Here is what is being built, how it is being funded, and how the programme supports growing communities.
Council Budgets 2027: Record Funding, New Borrowing Powers and Where the Money Is Going Across Ireland's 31 Local Authorities
Budget 2027 delivered record funding for housing, water, regeneration and fire services, plus new borrowing powers for councils. Here is what is confirmed, where the money is going, and what Ireland's 31 local authorities are planning as budget meetings arrive in November.
Dublin City Council Rezoning: Land for Up to 25,000 New Homes — and the Push to Turn Permissions Into Keys
Dublin City Council has rezoned land across Glasnevin, Kylemore, Finglas, Santry and beyond for up to 25,000 new homes. Here is where they could go, what councillors built in for communities, and what it will take to turn more than 80,000 Dublin planning permissions into homes people can live in.
The 14 October Strike Is Twelve Days Away — and Local Authorities Are at the Centre of It
More than 100,000 public sector workers began a work-to-rule this week, and a national one-day strike is confirmed for 14 October — placing Ireland's 31 local authorities at the centre of a twelve-day countdown.
Parkgate Street Cost-Rental Homes: 562 Apartments Beside Heuston Station Set to Start Construction Within Weeks
The Land Development Agency has confirmed that construction of 562 cost-rental homes at Parkgate Street, beside Heuston Station, will start in the coming weeks — turning a Dublin City Council planning permission into a major city-centre housing build.
Oscar Traynor Woods Starter Homes: Final 95 Apartments in Coolock Open to First-Time Buyers Until 14 October
Applications opened on 23 September for the last 95 Starter Homes at Oscar Traynor Woods in Coolock, Dublin City Council's 850-home development built with Glenveagh and Clúid Housing.
Wexford Housing: 48 Social Homes Open in New Ross and Affordable Homes From €225,000 Launch at The Dairy Fields
In the same week, 48 new social homes opened in New Ross and Minister James Browne launched affordable homes priced from €225,000 at The Dairy Fields in Ferrybank.
Galway County Council Social Housing: Contracts Signed for 105 New Homes in Tuam and Athenry
Galway County Council has signed two construction contracts in five weeks: a €15.1 million scheme of 62 social homes in Tuam and 43 social homes at Gort Mhaoilir in Athenry. More Starter Homes also open to buyers on 1 October.
Golding Green Starter Homes Kinsealy: How to Apply for the First 50 Homes From Fingal County Council and the LDA
The Land Development Agency and Fingal County Council have set out how to apply for the first 50 Starter Homes at Golding Green, Kinsealy. The application portal opens on 8 October, giving first-time buyers in north County Dublin a new route to owning a home.
Longford Starter Home Scheme: 25 A-Rated Homes at Cúirt an Easpaig With Up to €95,000 in Support
Longford County Council is offering 25 A-rated family homes at Cúirt an Easpaig on the Ballinalee Road, with eligible buyers able to get up to €95,000 in support. The scheme brings affordable home ownership to the heart of the midlands.
Rural Social Housing Ireland: New Homes Under Way in Louth Village, Monasterevin, Carbury, Sligo, Mayo and Kilfinane
Big-city schemes get the headlines, but August and September also brought a steady run of new social homes in villages and towns, from 58 homes in Louth Village to 20 in Sligo town centre and 10 in Kilfinane.
Letterkenny Social Housing: 62 Families Move Into New Homes at Ard na Gréine and Ardán Rua
Sixty-two families have received the keys to new two, three and four-bedroom homes at Ard na Gréine and Ardán Rua in Letterkenny, delivered by Clúid with Donegal County Council and five other partners.
Water Capacity for New Homes: Uisce Éireann Projects Move Forward in Enfield, Sligo, Ballineen and Tallaght
New homes can't be lived in until they're connected to water and wastewater. This September, Uisce Éireann and local councils moved projects forward in Meath, Sligo, Cork, Dublin and Tipperary that will do exactly that.
Gorey Inner Relief Road Approved: Wexford County Council Targets Construction Start in Summer 2027
The long-awaited Gorey Inner Relief Road now has planning approval. Wexford County Council engineers are moving it into design and procurement, with major construction targeted for summer 2027.
Midlands Active Travel: Ballymahon School Cycle Route Under Construction as Athlone to Ballinahown Greenway Nears Completion
Longford County Council has started building a walking and cycling route to a Ballymahon school, Westmeath's Athlone to Ballinahown greenway is nearly complete, and Offaly is planning the next link to Banagher.
Barnesmore Gap Greenway Planning Application Published: Donegal's 37.5km Route Enters the Planning System
On 13 August 2026 Donegal County Council published the planning application, Environmental Impact Assessment Report and Compulsory Purchase Order for the 37.5km Barnesmore Gap Greenway, putting the route formally into the planning system.
Council Retrofit Programme 2026: Galway Tenders for Energy Pathfinder 2 as Funding for Council Home Upgrades Rises to €140m
Galway County Council has gone to tender for a design team for its second SEAI Local Authority Energy Pathfinder Programme, as funding for upgrading council homes rises to €140 million in 2026.
Milltown Solar Farm Approved: Kerry County Council Grants Permission for 57-Hectare Solar and Battery Project
Kerry County Council has granted ten-year planning permission for a 57-hectare solar farm and battery storage facility outside Milltown, adding more renewable power to the county's supply.
Dublin District Heating: Ringsend Pilot Considered as Blanchardstown Data Centre Plans to Share Waste Heat
Dublin City Council is open to an early pilot connecting community buildings in Ringsend and Irishtown to the Dublin District Heating System, and a Blanchardstown data centre wants to pipe its spare heat to nearby buildings.
Lanesborough Solar Farm: Application Lodged for Project That Could Power More Than 18,000 Homes
Renewable energy developer BNRG is in talks with Longford County Council about a large solar farm near Lanesborough that could power more than 18,000 homes, a new energy role for a town long linked with peat-fired power.
Towns and Cities Regeneration Investment Fund: €409 Million for Almost 120 Council Projects Nationwide
Minister James Browne has announced €409 million for almost 120 projects under the new Towns and Cities Regeneration Investment Fund, covering every local authority area in the State.
Regeneration Funding by County: Meath, Limerick, Carlow, Kilkenny, Louth and Leitrim Projects Confirmed
From Meath and Limerick to Carlow, Kilkenny, Louth and Leitrim, here is how the new Towns and Cities Regeneration Investment Fund breaks down on the ground.
Local Property Tax Rules 2027: Councils With LPT Surpluses to Direct More Funding Towards Housing
Under plans brought to Cabinet on 9 September, councils will keep their share of almost €750 million in Local Property Tax, but councils that collect more than they need will have to put part of the surplus into housing.
LPT 2027 Council Decisions: How Meath, Cavan, Longford, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown and Fingal Are Setting Rates
September and October are when councillors set next year's Local Property Tax rate. Here is how Meath, Cavan, Longford, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown and Fingal are approaching 2027.
40 Years of Arts and Local Government: How Ireland's Councils Became the Engine of Cultural Life
This week marks 40 years since the Arts Council and Ireland's 31 local authorities began working together in a formal partnership to support arts and creativity at community level.
Ireland's New Rental Laws Are Three Months In — Here's How They're Actually Landing
The Residential Tenancies (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2026 came into force on 1 March 2026, representing the most significant overhaul of Ireland's private rental framework in over a decade. Three months in, the early evidence from tenants, landlords and local authorities is starting to come into view.
Dublin City Council Launches Major Housing Push With Up to 12,000 Homes in the Pipeline
A new tender invites private developers and landowners to partner with the council on mixed-tenure schemes — every proposal carrying at least 100 social homes — layered on top of an active pipeline of more than 100 projects and roughly 12,000 social and affordable homes.
The EU Migration Pact Is Live Today. Here Is What It Means for Ireland's 31 Local Authorities.
From reception centres to housing pressures to community integration, the EU Migration and Asylum Pact that came into force this morning has direct, practical consequences for every local authority in Ireland. Here is what it means — and what it demands.
1,090 Homes. 30 Acres of Woodland. The Taoiseach on Site. This Is What Housing at Scale Looks Like.
The O'Flynn Group has broken ground on the first phase of its 1,090-home Dunkettle masterplan — the largest single housing scheme currently under construction in Cork. Taoiseach Micheál Martin joined founder Michael O'Flynn on Monday to mark the occasion. Here is what the development means for Cork, for housing delivery and for the communities it will serve.
Ireland's Energy Revolution: €18.9 Billion for the Grid, Offshore Wind Accelerating and a Decade That Will Redefine How Ireland Powers Itself
From a €18.9 billion grid investment to an EIB funding package and Ireland's most ambitious renewable energy targets in history — the transformation of Ireland's energy infrastructure is underway. Here is the full picture.
Social Housing Delivery in Ireland: Which Councils Are Hitting Their Targets — And Which Are Falling Short
9,088 social homes were delivered in Ireland in 2025 — the highest number since the 1970s. But only 17 per cent were directly built by local authorities. The State missed its 2024 social housing target by almost 20 per cent. And with 12,000 new social homes needed every year to meet Government targets, the gap between ambition and delivery remains stubbornly wide.
The New eTenders Rules Every Irish Business Bidding for Council Contracts Needs to Know
New procurement thresholds came into effect on 15 December 2025 and 1 January 2026. The rules on when contracts must be advertised on eTenders, when EU procedures apply and what businesses need to do to compete have been updated. Here is the complete picture.
Ireland's Water Infrastructure Crisis: Uisce Éireann Can Only Support 35,000 New Homes a Year. The Target Is 50,000. Here Is What It Will Take to Fix It.
€13.6 billion approved for 2025-2029. €1.4 billion from Budget 2026. €120 billion needed long-term. A network that cannot support the homes the country needs to build. The full picture of Ireland's water infrastructure challenge — and what is being done about it.
LPT Reform: What the New Baseline Funding Model Means for Every Council in Ireland
€744 million in total LPT allocations for 2026. A €42 million increase in baseline funding. A 33 per cent increase in baselines over three years. And a new model that allows councils to retain significantly more of their own surplus. The Local Property Tax reforms that came into effect this year are the most significant changes to local government funding in a decade.