The Cork Business Association (CBA) said urgent tax reforms, incentive schemes and a long-term housing strategy are needed to resolve the accommodation crisis in the city, which it said is a business issue as well as a social one.
At a CBA event to discuss removing the barriers to housing supply, business and planning experts discussed practical measures to boost supply. The business representative body unveiled a new paper, Measures to Increase Housing Supply, which sets out proposals ranging from expanded tax incentives to planning reforms.
Key recommendations include broadening the Living City Initiative, introducing an Apartment Living Initiative, broadening the qualifying criteria of the EIIS Scheme, extending Help-to-Buy to vacant and derelict homes, and reforming rental income tax.
The group also called for amendments to the Croí Cónaithe Cities Scheme to make it more workable for smaller developers, and for a sustained, evidence-based national housing strategy.
“The housing crisis isn’t just a social issue—it’s a business issue,” CBA President Dave O’Brien said. “The persistent shortage of housing, particularly within urban centres, has generated a detrimental knock-on effect for the business community.
“This discussion today and our paper puts forward clear, evidence-based solutions — from tax reforms to planning supports — that can have an immediate and tangible impact. Maintaining the status quo is simply unacceptable.”
CBA board member Clara O’Neil, of Total Planning Solutions, said their recommendations outline specific measures which, if implemented, would have a tangible and immediate effect on increasing housing supply in Cork City and across the nation.
At the event, planning reform was highlighted as critical. Dr Seán O’Leary of the Irish Planning Institute said the roll-out of the Planning and Development Act 2024 must deliver an “evidence-led, properly resourced, and forward-looking” system to avoid delays and support sustainable, higher-density communities.
He said: “Planning plays a key role in addressing our housing challenges and the system is undergoing a period of significant change. Planning must continue to focus on viable, plan-led development that supports density, sustainability, and vibrant communities.
“With the right planning reforms, Cork can unlock significant new housing supply in a way that is both efficient and future-proof.”