Housing Ireland Conference 2023

Friday 10th March • Radisson Blu Royal Hotel/Dublin Royal Convention Centre

 
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Housing Ireland Conference 2023
 

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20+ expert speakers

5 informative sessions

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About

Housing Ireland Conference

Over one year on since the launch of Housing for All in September 2021, government insists that it will exceed its target of 24,000 new homes delivered in 2022 on the way to delivering an average of 33,000 homes per annum up to and including 2030. However, some recent statistics illustrate that the housing crisis abounds.

Indeed, throughout 2022, the implementation of Housing for All has been hindered by several headwinds, not least by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the energy crisis, rising interest rates, and construction cost inflation. Consequently, homes are now costlier and slower to build and those who finance and construct them face increased risks.

Irrespective, government “remains determined to fully implement Housing for All”.

Without seeking to amend the fundamental policy approach or targets in Housing for All, Housing for All: Action Plan Update and Q3 Progress Report (published in November 2022) identifies eight priority areas for 2023:

  1. Major reform of the planning system
  2. Meeting the challenges of viability, affordability, and sustainability to close the delivery gap
  3. Delivering social and affordable homes on state lands
  4. Boosting construction productivity
  5. Increasing construction sector capacity
  6. Bringing vibrancy to our towns and villages
  7. Improving the rental market
  8. Planning the required number of homes

However, spiralling rents and record homelessness are symptomatic of the intractability of the ongoing housing crisis. Now, The Commission on Housing is set to recommend to the Housing Minister that a referendum on housing should be held later in 2023.

All eyes will be on the implementation of government housing policy in 2023.

In this context, eolas Magazine’s eighth annual Housing Ireland Conference will examine the key challenges facing Ireland’s housing policymakers and senior practitioners across the sector. The conference will take place on 10th March 2023 in the Radisson Blu Royal Hotel, Dublin.

Key issues

Key issues to be examined:

  • Housing for All implementation and progress
  • Financing new housing supply
  • Addressing the housing demand and supply imbalance
  • Increasing the stock of permanent social and affordable housing
  • Addressing vacancy and efficient use of existing housing stock
  • Effective policies to support home ownership and affordability
  • Creating a large scale affordable purchase and cost rental sector in Ireland
  • Implementing greater protections for renters
  • Project Tosaigh: Accelerating the delivery of new, affordable homes
  • Eradicating homelessness
  • Housing First implementation 2022-2026
  • Maintenance and management of existing housing stock
  • Availability of land for the delivery of housing
  • Enabling a more sustainable housing system
  • Delivering the National Retrofit Plan
  • Procurement, design, and modern construction methods
  • The holistic role of AHBs in establishing sustainable and vibrant communities
  • The role of the LDA in developing cost rental housing
  • The role of local authorities in the planning and provision of affordable homes on public lands
  • Reducing the cost of construction amid inflationary pressures
  • Delivering appropriate infrastructure to support planned housing
  • Changes to planning and development in Ireland
  • The role of social housing sector in the European Platform on Combating Homelessness
  • A referendum on a constitutional right to housing in Ireland
Speakers

Confirmed speakers

darragh-obrien

Darragh O’Brien TD

Darragh O’Brien TD is the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage. He was appointed to this role in June 2020. He is an elected TD for the constituency of Dublin-Fingal. Prior to his election to the 30th Dáil in 2007, Minister O’Brien worked mainly in Financial Services and was elected to Fingal County Council in 2004. He was elected to Seanad Éireann in 2011. He has held various positions within the Oireachtas including Vice-Chairperson of the Public Accounts Committee, Member of the Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Equality, Defence and Law Reform, Leader of Fianna Fáil in the Seanad and Opposition Frontbench Spokesperson on Dublin, Foreign Affairs and Housing.

Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage

bob-jordan

Bob Jordan

In September 2021, Bob Jordan was appointed CEO of The Housing Agency. Bob has a strong leadership record in the housing sector. Before joining The Housing Agency, he was the National Director of the Housing First programme, which is a key part of the Government’s response to long-term homelessness. During 2016-2017, he was Special Adviser to the former Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government. And prior to that, Bob was Chief Executive of the national housing charity Threshold for nearly a decade. He is a Bachelor of Science (Computer Science & Software Engineering) graduate of Trinity College Dublin and holds a Masters in International Relations from Dublin City University.

CEO
The Housing Agency

fidelma-mcmanus

Fidelma McManus

Fidelma McManus is a partner and heads up Beauchamps’ specialised Housing team. She is the go-to expert in complex conveyancing and an acknowledged market leader in the acquisition and management of social and affordable housing. Her practice includes all aspects of conveyancing including the acquisition, structuring, financing, disposal and leasing of all types of property, including multi-unit developments, distressed and partially complete residential developments, shopping centres, retail parks and offices. She also advises on landlord and tenant law. Fidelma works closely with local authorities, state agencies, charities, Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs), lending institutions, pension funds, sporting bodies, receivers and developers including institutional and private investors.

Partner
Beauchamps

sorcha-edwards

Sorcha Edwards
Secretary General
Housing Europe

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Javier Burón Cuadrado
Housing Manager, Municipal Institute of Housing and Rehabilitation of Barcelona
Barcelona City Council

Grainia Long

Grainia Long


Grainia Long is the Chief Executive of the Northern Ireland Housing Executive, the strategic housing authority for Northern Ireland and one of the largest publically owned social landlords in Europe, with responsibility for 85,000 homes. Previously, Grainia was the Commissioner for Resilience for the city of Belfast, and co-Chaired the Belfast Climate Commission.  She spent nearly four years as Chief Executive of the National Child Protection Charity in the Republic of Ireland, ISPCC Childline. This position followed several years working in housing, including as Chief Executive of the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH), and previously National Director of the CIH in Northern Ireland.  She served two terms as a member of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission, and has extensive experience as a Non-Executive Director, having spent six years as Senior Independent Director on the Group Board of Metropolitan Thames Valley Housing.


Chief Executive
Northern Ireland Housing Executive

Dara Deering HBFI

Dara Deering

Dara Deering is CEO of Home Building Finance Ireland having joined the organisation in September 2019. Dara has extensive experience in Financial Services having previously served as Executive Director and Head of Retail Banking at KBC Bank Ireland plc since February 2012. During that time Dara led the launch and implementation of a new Retail Bank, broadening the range of products and services available, and offering a new banking alternative for Irish consumers. Prior to her time in KBC Dara held a number of leadership positions in the retail financial services industry. She holds an MBA from Smurfit Business School and a Bachelor of Science Management from Trinity College Dublin.


Chief Executive Officer
Home Building Finance Ireland

Caren Gallagher 2022

Caren Gallagher

Caren Gallagher is Head of Communications and Research with the Residential Tenancies Board.

Prior to joining the RTB in 2017, Caren was Director of Policy with the Irish Council for Social Housing.

She has an Honours degree in Geography from Queen University, Belfast and an MPhil examining urban social exclusion as well as a Professional Certificate in Governance.


Head of Communications and Research
Residential Tenancies Board

John Coleman – Headshot

John Coleman

John Coleman has been Chief Executive of the Land Development Agency since its inception in September 2018. John previously held senior roles at Ireland’s National Asset Management Agency (NAMA), worked extensively on the set up of its Residential Delivery division and was its Chief Financial Officer. John is a graduate of University College Dublin (BComm) and a chartered accountant (FCA). Prior to joining NAMA in 2011 he worked in banking and accountancy.

Chief Executive Officer
Land Development Agency

Larry O’Connell

Larry O’Connell

Larry O’Connell is the Director of the National Economic and Social Council (NESC), and Chief Officer of the National Economic and Social Development Office (NESDO). As senior economist in NESC, since 2007, he worked on a range of policy areas including Ireland’s transition to low-carbon and digital future; housing and land; climate change and sustainable development; higher education funding; and Ireland’s five part crisis.  He previously worked in the National Centre for Partnership and Performance, Teagasc, UCD, Waterford Institute of Technology and Louis Dreyfus Trading (London).  He has a degree in Agricultural Economics, Masters in Business Studies and, in 2001, completed his PhD at UCD on the Internationalisation of Irish Business.  He was also Greencore Newman Scholar in Competitiveness at UCD Business School.


Director
National Economic and Social Council

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Áine Stapleton
Assistant Secretary, Social Housing Delivery
Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage

John Hannigan

John Hannigan

John Hannigan is Chief Executive Officer of Circle Voluntary Housing Association, one of Irelands largest Tier 3 Approved Housing Bodies, since September 2017. Prior to this John was Managing Director of Sunbeam House Services (2010 to 2017) and Company Treasurer of Respond Housing Association (2004 to 2010) in Ireland and South Africa. John has worked at senior executive level within the Private Sector (KPMG, Grant Thornton and EY) and as Group Director and Company Secretary in the UK for large Registered Social Landlords (Accord and Prime Focus).  With over 30 years’ experience in the Housing Sector, John holds an MBA and is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Housing, a Fellow of the Association of Certified Accountants and a Chartered member of the Institute of Directors in Ireland. John is also a member of the Board of ICSH, Chair of the CIH Ireland, Chair of The Housing Alliance, a collaboration of six of Ireland’s largest AHBs, member of the CIH governing board and its finance audit and risk committee.  


Chair
The Housing Alliance

Caroline Timmons

Caroline Timmons
Acting Assistant Secretary, Housing Affordability, Inclusion and Homelessness
Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage

Rob Lowth

Rob Lowth

Rob Lowth is a former Housing Senior Executive Officer, Housing Maintenance Manager and Co-ordinator of Homeless Services at Limerick City & County Council, in a Local Government career that began in 2003. He previously worked as a Project Manager in the technology sector. Rob holds technical qualifications in Computer Systems and in 2013 he completed a BA in Management at the Institute of Public Administration.

National Director
National Office for Housing First

Claire Feeney

Claire Feeney

Claire is the Director for Services and Inclusion in The Housing Agency. Her Directorate consists of Local Authority Services, the National Housing First Office and AHB Services all who act as centres of excellence in their given areas. They also develop policies with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and provide advice and support to their stakeholders including local authorities and approved housing bodies.

Claire joined Dublin City Council in the late 80’s. She spent time on secondment to the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government as a Project Manager for the computerisation of Motor Tax and Motor Tax Online and the Limerick Regeneration Agencies working in Moyross, Southill in 2007, and the other regeneration areas as the Project Manager for the Physical and Economic Regeneration. She was part of the Housing Department of DCC with responsible for a number of the Regeneration Projects in Dublin.

In 2012 Claire moved to the Housing Agency to manage the Mortgage to Rent Scheme nationally and drive the National Housing Strategy for Disabled People 2022 – 2027.


Director of Services and Inclusion
The Housing Agency

Dónal McManus

Dónal McManus

Donal McManus is CEO at Irish Council for Social Housing (ICSH), the national federation of housing associations which has 270 active housing association members  throughout the country. He previously worked since 1990  in the public/local authority and housing association sectors in Scotland and Northern Ireland. He specifically worked  in areas of housing development, self-build and regeneration, housing management, including homelessness and special needs as well as policy and finance. He had also worked in urban design and land assembly within the private sector.  Donal was president of the non-profit housing section of Housing Europe, chair  of the European Housing Forum and FEANTSA. From 2003-2005 he was appointed a member of the UN-ECE Task Force on Social Housing. He is  a graduate in Housing from Ulster University, and Urban Design from Strathclyde University School of Architecture Glasgow.  He received a  doctorate in Governance from Queens University Belfast, School of Law  on financialisation and impact of private finance on housing association delivery. He is currently a board member of the Housing Agency and member of the Audit and Risk Committee and also Chairperson of Housing Europe Working Group on  Economics, Finance and EU Internal Market. He also represents the ICSH  on a number of National Social and Affordable Housing Working Groups.

CEO
Irish Council for Social Housing

Derval-McDonagh-CEO-Inclusion-Ireland-scaled

Derval McDonagh
CEO
Inclusion Ireland

Pat Dennigan

Pat Dennigan
CEO
Focus Ireland

Kevin_Kelly

Kevin Kelly

A native of County Galway, Kevin has worked in the local government sector for 36 years in a variety of different roles and authorities including Dublin County Council, Galway City Council, Laois County Council, Carlow County Council, Kildare County Council and Galway County Council where he held the position of Chief Executive between 2014 and 2021 before taking up the position of Chief Executive, Mayo County Council in May 2021.
Kevin is a member of the Board of Ireland West Airport and the Housing Agency. He also currently contributes to a number of national committees including the Planning Advisory Forum and serves as Chair of the CCMA’s Housing Building and Land Use Committee and also Chairs the group tasked with the introduction of e-planning across all local authorities.

Chair
Housing, Building and Land Use (HBLU) Committee, County and City Management Association (CCMA)

john-oconnor

John O'Connor
Chair
The Housing Commission

Fergal_O

Feargal Ó Coigligh

Feargal Ó Coigligh is Assistant Secretary at the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government heading up the Housing Policy Division of the Department. This followed a 4 year period leading the Water Division of the Department. He previously served as Assistant Secretary in the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht where he headed up both the Heritage and Culture Divisions of that Department in successive periods. During his time in charge of the Culture Division he had responsibility for commemorations as part of the Decade of Centenaries including the successful Ireland 2016 Centenary Programme.

In the past he has worked on land-use planning policy, the reform of the local government system in Ireland, on modernising waste management policy, and as an adviser to the Minister for the Environment.


Assistant Secretary
Department Of Housing, Local Government And Heritage

Nial_C

Niall Cussen

Niall is the Chief Executive and Planning Regulator at the Office of the Planning Regulator (OPR) established by Government in April 2019.

The OPR’s functions are to oversee the effective delivery of planning services of Irelands 31 local authorities and An Bord Pleanála, including implementation of national and regional policies and to conduct research and public awareness programmes in relation to planning.<br />

Prior to his appointment Niall was Chief Planner at the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government from July 2014 and he worked in the Department from January 2000 prior to that.<br />

Niall was responsible for leading the Department’s Forward Planning Section and its professional and multi-disciplinary planning team in the development of legislation and all Government policy relating to planning and related matters, including the National Planning Framework as part of Project Ireland 2040 alongside the National Development Plan.<br />

Prior to joining the Department in 2000, Niall had an extensive planning career working for local authorities in Clare, Meath and Dublin City Council and An Bord Pleanála.<br />

Niall holds qualifications in economics and geography, regional and urban planning and environmental engineering from Maynooth University, University College Dublin and Trinity College Dublin respectively and is both a member and a past President of the Irish Planning Institute.<br />

Chief Executive and Planning Regulator
Office Of The Planning Regulator

Rosemarie Tobin – Photo 2 2023[46]

Rosemarie Tobin

Rosemarie Tobin is a Principle Officer at the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government with responsibility for the Homelessness Policy, Funding and Delivery Unit.   Rosemarie joined the Department since 2019, initially working in Social Housing Delivery, with responsibility for the Traveller Accommodation Support Unit and the Social Housing Capital Investment Programme for some of the urban local authorities. 

Rosemarie joined the Civil Service in 2016 as an Assistant Principle Officer in the International Protection Office in the Department of Justice following 14 years working in the private sector in Citibank.


Principal Officer, Homelessness Policy, Funding and Delivery
Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage

David Duffy

David Duffy

David Duffy is Director of Property Industry Ireland (PII), Ibec’s sectoral association for businesses in property and construction. Property Industry Ireland (PII) was established in 2011 in response to the impact of the recession on the property sector. One of the reasons for establishing the organisation was to have an independent and inclusive representative organisation for all sub-sectors of the Irish property industry. All of these stakeholders are represented in the membership of Property Industry Ireland (PII). Before joining PII in 2016, David was a senior research officer at the ESRI, where his main research area was the housing market. He is a Board member of the Housing Agency and chairs the Housing Agency Research and Insights Advisory panel.

Director of Property Industry Ireland
Ibec

Who should attend

Who should attend?

The conference will attract stakeholders engaged in all aspects of housing policy, funding, delivery, and management, including senior managers in the public, private, and third sectors in Ireland.

It will be of particular interest to:

  • Professionals in housing policy and delivery
  • Government departments and agencies
  • Those providing social welfare advice
  • Approved housing bodies
  • Policy / public affairs advisors
  • The construction industry
  • Project funders
  • Legal advisors
  • Housing and planning consultants
  • The community and voluntary sector / NGOs
  • Local elected representatives
 
Programme

Conference programme

09:00

Chair's welcome and introduction

 

Chair: Fidelma McManus, Partner and Head of Housing, Beauchamps

09:05

MINISTERIAL ADDRESS: Delivering Housing for All
Minister Darragh O’Brien TD, Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage

Pathways to Housing for All
Bob Jordan, CEO, The Housing Agency

Affordable housing: Emerging trends in Europe
Sorcha Edwards, Secretary General, Housing Europe

Taking a long-term strategic view on housing
John O'Connor, Chair, The Housing Commission

Question & answer session / Panel discussion

10:45

Morning break

11:15

ACCESS TO ADEQUATE HOUSING

Barcelona’s social and affordable housing policy
Javier Burón Cuadrado, Housing Manager, Municipal Institute of Housing and Rehabilitation of Barcelona, Barcelona City Council

Delivering sustainable homes and communities in Northern Ireland
Grainia Long, Chief Executive, Northern Ireland Housing Executive

Emerging trends in the rental sector
Caren Gallagher, Head of Communications and Research, Residential Tenancies Board

 

Question & answer session / Panel discussion

12:15

DISCUSSION PANEL: ENSURING A SUSTAINABLE SUPPLY OF HOUSING

Chair: Fidelma McManus, Partner and Head of Housing, Beauchamps

Ensuring a sustainable supply of housing
Feargal Ó Coigligh, Assistant Secretary, Housing Policy, Legislation and Governance, Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage

Dara Deering, Chief Executive Officer, Home Building Finance Ireland
John Coleman, Chief Executive Officer, Land Development Agency
Larry O’Connell, Director, National Economic and Social Council
David Duffy, Director, Property Industry Ireland, Ibec
Niall Cussen, Chief Executive and Planning Regulator, Office of the Planning Regulator

Question & answer session / Panel discussion

13:15

Lunch break

14:00

DISCUSSION PANEL: INCREASING SOCIAL AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING DELIVERY

Chair: Fidelma McManus, Partner and Head of Housing, Beauchamps

Áine Stapleton, Assistant Secretary, Social Housing Delivery, Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage
John Hannigan, Chair, The Housing Alliance
Dónal McManus, CEO, Irish Council for Social Housing
Kevin Kelly, Chair, County and City Management Association (CCMA), Housing, Building and Land Use Committee
Robert Nicholson, Principal Officer, Housing Delivery, Affordable Purchase and Cost Rental, Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage

Question & answer session / Panel discussion

15:10

Coffee break

15:25

DISCUSSION PANEL: COLLABORATING TO ERADICATE HOMELESSNESS AND ENHANCE SOCIAL INCLUSION

Chair: Caroline Timmons, Acting Assistant Secretary, Housing Affordability, Inclusion and Homelessness, Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage

Rosemarie Tobin, Principal Officer, Homelessness Policy,Funding and Delivery, Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage 
Claire Feeney, Head of Local Authority Services, The Housing Agency
Rob Lowth, National Director, National Office for Housing First
Derval McDonagh, CEO, Inclusion Ireland
Pat Dennigan, CEO, Focus Ireland

Question & answer session / Panel discussion

16:30

Chairs concluding remarks and Conference close

 

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Housing Ireland Conference 2023