Mayo man is new president of Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland

The new president of the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland (SCSI), Gerard O’Toole from Mayo, says the Housing Activation Office needs to commence its work urgently on clearing the many blockages which are impeding the delivery of new housing.

The Westport estate agent said a central concern for the SCSI on the housing issue was the need for greater coordination across all levels of government, state agencies and stakeholders. These issues are stalling progress at a time when housing demand is critically high.

Mr. O'Toole, who is MD of O’Toole & Co. in Westport, said: “We need to breakdown the silos which appears to exist across Government departments and agencies if we are to ensure the efficient and timely delivery of new housing and the retrofitting of existing housing, including vacant and derelict property. Hold-ups with the implementation of critical infrastructure continue to hinder progress, and a more joined-up, cross-agency approach is badly needed,” said Mr. O'Toole.

“For example, we can see this in the rising costs, specification increases and delays associated with water and power connections. The SCSI is calling for reform of the utility connection processes and earlier engagement by Uisce Éireann and the ESB with home builders to reduce delays and prioritise essential connections for housing ready for occupation.

“That is why we believe the terms of reference for the Housing Activation Office (HAO) must facilitate greater collaboration and transparency. Regular and effective engagement with key industry stakeholders will be key to the success of this office. But so also will be accountability and ongoing measurement of activity.

“If the HAO can accelerate planning and procurement processes, improve access to finance for home builders and increase the supply of serviced development land, it will be deemed a success.”

State backed investment scheme

The SCSI believes the establishment of a state backed housing investment vehicle could also play a key role in addressing the housing crisis.

Mr. O’Toole points out that the state is by far the largest investor in Ireland’s housing delivery – it allocated over €5bn to housing in 2024 – but says this level of public investment is not sustainable in the long term and the state needs to explore alternative and diversified funding streams.

The SCSI believes the establishment of a specific private savings fund devoted to housing – which was initially proposed by the Housing Commission - could enable the Government to put long term multi-annual housing plans in place while also facilitating investment in much needed infrastructural projects.

Mr. O’Toole says the Government needs to show more urgency and act decisively.

“Irish households’ bank deposits amount to nearly €160 billion, mostly in low-interest current accounts. At the same time, access to finance remains a major barrier, especially for small and medium-sized developers. If the Government was to establish such a state backed investment vehicle – similar to the one they have in France, it would enable citizens to invest securely in future housing while also expanding access to development finance for small and medium-sized home builders.”

Proposals on the terms of reference on the HAO and the setting up of the state backed investment schemes were among several proposals made by the SCSI in a recent detailed submission on the Government’s new National Housing Plan 2025 -2030.

Clustered Development

In its submission, the SCSI said that with regard to rural housing the new housing plan should put a greater emphasis on clustered housing.

It said rural housing planning guidelines in the new National Housing Plan should transition away from ribbon development towards a more ‘clustered’ rural housing delivery in the interest of proper planning and sustainability.

It said one-off development should be evidenced with a strong housing need, such as strong ties with agriculture, if seeking to build a new single home outside of ‘clusters’.

The SCSI is proposing that planning authorities should compile data to identify the number of planning permissions granted for single houses in each category such as ribbon or cluster development and Government should consider implementing a maximum threshold of ribbon development permissions for each county to manage the levels of one-off houses being built in this manner.

Mr. O’Toole, who is a fully qualified chartered surveyor and registered valuer, has held several positions within the SCSI, including chair of the northwest region. He has been an SCSI board member since 2023 and became a council member last year.

He has a keen interest in architecture and urban design.