An active, effective and sustainable construction sector is critical in terms of the delivery of housing, both public and private. Rebuilding Ireland commits to the examination of housing delivery input costs, with a view to considering the scope for achieving further economies and efficiencies.

While delivery of homes to certain sections of the residential market is increasing, the scarcity of affordable homes, in particular, has become a significant concern and a matter of
priority. This study, therefore, explores the issues and challenges encountered with each of the input costs associated with affordable residential delivery. It reviews the actions that have been implemented to date with the objective of reducing input costs and recommends what further actions are required to achieve a return to more sustainable, viable, and affordable housing delivery.

Housing as a percentage of GNP, while currently displaying an upturn, remains significantly lower than that experienced during the more stable years of 1997 – 2002, for example, when circa 40% of overall construction GNP activity was residential. A return to a consistently performing residential delivery sector of that scale is now imperative if much-needed homes are to be delivered, in the right locations and at prices that people on average incomes can afford.