Irish housing completions are set to be the strongest among 19 EU countries according to Euroconstruct, an independent construction market forecasting network. What does the new government need to do to build on this momentum?

The State, through local authorities, Government Departments and agencies and State  companies, owns key parts of our cities and towns. The development of these lands will play a vital role in re- imagining and reshaping those urban areas, providing the homes along with places of work, recreation and biodiversity that we need. How will we harness these public lands for housing development?

Fingal is delivering 300 new homes at high speed and at affordable prices in west Dublin. The council appears to have found a more efficient route through the bureaucratic “four-stage” procurement from the Department of Housing, a halfway house between developing directly and purchasing directly, which allows for faster timelines and more affordable end prices. Could this be a blueprint for the future?

Our panel explores the underlying structure of the homebuilding industry, the players within it and why the lack of scale in homebuilding is a major issue. Introduction from Jeanette Mair, Head of Economic and Policy Research at Construction Industry Federation

• Scaling SME builders
• Technology/innovation/MMC
• skills/training

How can the government contribute to the long-term financial sustainability that the sector needs? Unlocking funding capacity and certainty through new partnership opportunities