The development of new strategies for accelerating the delivery of homes in Galway was explored by senior officials and stakeholders from across the housing sector at a forum held at the Galmont Hotel on Wednesday 12 November 2025.
The event, titled ‘Speeding up and Scaling up Housing Delivery’, looked at the key challenges holding back progress, and explored practical ways to make housing delivery in Galway City and County faster, and more efficient.
Organised by Galway City Council, Galway County Council and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, the event feeds into the work of the Galway Housing Taskforce, a body established in 2019 to increase the supply of social and affordable housing in the region.
Those attending included representatives from Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs), Housing Agency, Land Development Agency (LDA), Housing Delivery Coordination Office (HDCO), Construction Federation Industry, banks, auctioneers, and housing developers.
Leonard Cleary, Chief Executive of Galway City Council, said the forum was timely given the scale of housing challenges facing Galway City and Country.
He stressed the importance of a strategic approach to promote the supply of sufficient homes of the right type, in the right locations, integrated with other infrastructure requirements. Key to this is the local authority working closely with Governments Housing Activation Office (HAO) to secure Government investment in enabling infrastructure such as Multi-Modal Roads and wastewater to unlock zoned land.
“We must move beyond traditional methods and work together to unlock delivery capacity,” he said. “If we can simplify how we work and plan collectively, we’ll build a stronger, more sustainable housing system for Galway.”
Liam Conneally, Chief Executive of Galway County Council, emphasised the need to align residentially zoned land with the necessary water infrastructure to achieve the development densities required. He stated: “With a coordinated, multi-agency implementation model, we can continue to unlock housing supply across all tenure types.”
Mr. Conneally added: “To meet Galway’s housing needs, we must work differently. By bringing councils, agencies, and developers together, sharing data in real time, and exploring new ways of working, we can unlock untapped potential and deliver more homes faster. Collaboration and practical solutions must drive our efforts if we are to achieve meaningful results by 2030.”
The forum used a World Café format, a workshop style designed to spark open discussion and practical ideas. Facilitated by Genesis Consulting, participants looked at how land use, planning processes and partnerships could be improved, and talked about the steps needed now to speed up housing delivery over the coming years.
The Galway Housing Taskforce will consider the forum’s findings and prepare recommendations for the relevant agencies to take forward.