Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 29 April 2025
1149. Deputy Martin Daly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his Department will consider continuing to advance new methods of construction, in particular modular home builds, as a means to meet national housing targets. [18537/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraModern Methods of Construction (MMC) is the term used to describe a range of compliant manufacturing and innovative construction alternatives to traditional construction. MMC includes modular construction. MMC has the potential to boost productivity, increase efficiency and improve sustainability in the construction sector. MMC techniques can speed up the delivery of construction projects by between 20% and 60%.
The coordination of activities to promote MMC adoption is being led by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (DETE), through the inter-departmental MMC Leadership and Integration Group (established July 2022). This Group will ensure the integration and coordination of the various Government-supported MMC initiatives – to support innovation in the construction industry. The group includes DETE, my Department, the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform, Construction Sector Group, Enterprise Ireland and National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI).
Such initiatives include:
• The Accelerated social housing delivery programme which uses MMC.
• Publication of the Roadmap for increased adoption of MMC in Public Housing Delivery.
• The ConstructInnovate Technology Centre.
• The National Demonstration Park for MMC.
• The National Construction Training Centre.
• Training for industry, procurers and Building Control in MMC.
• The establishment of the Timber in Construction Working Group, which, bringing together a range of industry expertise, will be tasked with examining conditions to increase the use of timber in construction.
In promoting MMC, using new technologies, and as we seek to reduce the carbon footprint of our built environment, the Government will also ensure that we can have confidence in the quality of our new systems. Compliance with high standards, including compliance with all parts of the Building Regulations, will continue to be central to the success of MMC in Ireland. All MMC systems must comply with Building Regulations and have a 60 year durability
The programme for Government contains a range of initiatives to support MMC. These include:
• Set up a MMC Innovation Fund via the Ireland Strategic Investment Fund (ISIF), to directly fund new housing factories, and the expansion of existing factories.
• Leverage state capital investment to promote MMC and set binding targets for MMC use in at least 25% of all State-backed housing.
• Overhaul and resource the National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI) to ensure all-encompassing regulatory certs are issued in a timely manner, harmonising Irish regulations with EU regulations to open up new market opportunities.
• Promote the use of timber in new buildings and ensure multi storey timber frame residential units can be built.
• Expand the role of Ireland’s credit union sector in the housing market.
