More than 10,800 homes could be unlocked across Cork under a new €1 billion Government housing fund, with four major infrastructure projects approved for the county.
The funding comes through the Housing Infrastructure Investment Fund (HIIF), which is designed to provide the roads, bridges, water and sewerage upgrades needed to make land ready for housing development.
A total of 82 projects nationwide have been approved in the first round of funding, with around €60 million allocated to four Cork projects that are expected to unlock land for 10,821 homes.
Cork, Ireland. Darryl Brooks, Shutterstock
In the Cork City Council area, funding has been approved for works at Tower Bridge, Tower, including upgrades to the Bawnafinny Road and the construction of a new bridge over the River Shournagh. The €10 million project is expected to directly unlock land for 334 homes.
Another €10 million project in Wilton will see Uisce Éireann upgrade the combined sewer network at Summerstown Road. The Department of Housing said the works will directly unlock land for 345 homes, while also supporting a further 345 homes indirectly.
Galley Head Lighthouse in County Cork, Ireland
Within the wider Cork County Council area, the largest project is the Carrigtwohill Housing Activation Scheme, a package of 25 infrastructure projects aimed at supporting housing delivery and town centre regeneration.
The €20 million scheme is expected to directly unlock land for 2,747 homes and indirectly support another 1,646 homes.
A further €20 million has been allocated to Waterrock Phase 2 as part of the Linear Park and Knockgriffin Housing Activation Scheme.
The Department said this project will directly unlock land for 3,804 homes and indirectly facilitate a further 1,600 homes.
While the funding does not provide for the immediate construction of homes, it is intended to remove infrastructure barriers that can delay development. The Government hopes the projects can move quickly, with an emphasis on schemes that are considered "shovel ready".
The announcement comes amid continuing pressure on the housing market in Cork, where property prices and rents have continued to rise.
Last month, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said the 36,000 homes completed across Ireland in 2025 were insufficient to meet demand.
Earlier this year, the average price of a three-bedroom semi-detached home in Cork city exceeded €400,000 for the first time.
Announcing the projects, Housing Minister James Browne said the fund is aimed at accelerating housing delivery by ensuring key infrastructure is in place before construction begins.
“Today, we are making our first announcements under the Housing Infrastructure Investment Fund. In our first call for applications, we invited Local Authorities and the Land Development Agency to apply for funding to progress infrastructure projects that will unlock housing in towns and cities across the country – with an emphasis on shovel ready projects and works which can be quickly started.”
He added: “Having examined all the applications, today I am announcing 82 projects which will be supported and accelerated under the programme. These 82 projects can unlock land to deliver 86,000 new homes and create potential for a further 113,000 homes. This is exactly the type of result we were looking for when designing this fund.”
The minister said the funding would help address situations where land already zoned for housing remains undeveloped due to a lack of essential infrastructure.
“I am intensely focused on delivering more homes but also on delivering the best possible environment for constructing more homes. Across the country, we see zoned land lying idle because the critical enabling infrastructure needed to support housing development is not in place. The projects I am providing funding for today will directly tackle this problem. By investing at scale now, we can accelerate home building.”
