A new report from the Land Development Agency (LDA) has revealed that almost 15,000 affordable homes could be built on the country's least constrained state-owned land in the short to medium term.

The Second Report on Relevant Public Land identifies 102 parcels of public land with the potential to deliver up to 70,830 homes. However, the LDA has noted that the land is divided into two categories: 32 parcels classified as least constrained and 70 parcels classified as moderately or significantly constrained.

According to the report, the 32 least constrained parcels could potentially deliver between 10,860 and 14,780 homes in the short to medium term. In contrast, the moderately and significantly constrained parcels could yield between 42,260 and 56,050 homes in the long term, but unlocking these sites would require substantial planning and public investment.

The report defines least constrained land as being appropriately zoned and well-serviced with the potential for housing development to be completed within five to ten years in cases where it is owned by or transferred to the LDA.

It defines moderately and significantly constrained land as involving constraints and complexities such as existing operational uses requiring consolidation or relocation. This may also involve a need for rezoning and infrastructure investment. It states that a plan-led approach and access to funding would be a critical factor in realising the potential of such land.

The first Report on Relevant Public Land was produced by the LDA in March 2023. The LDA is required to report to Government every two years and this new edition, the Report on Relevant Public Land 2025, is the first such update.

The 2023 report identified 83 sites with the potential for up to 66,910 homes but also warned of the complexities involved in unlocking this land for housing, as much of it is in existing use or has high levels of constraints.

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To ensure a priority focus on areas of greatest need and projected future growth, the 2023 report focused on the five cities – Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway, and Waterford – and the five regional growth centres – Drogheda, Dundalk, Athlone, Letterkenny, and Sligo.

The updated 2025 version re-examined and updated the analysis of these areas. It also involved a new analysis of 45 other census towns.

Census towns are those towns or cities with a population exceeding 10,000 people. Relevant public land is all land within a census town, which is owned by a public body.

Of the 55 census towns examined in total, the LDA identified parcels of land with the potential for affordable and social housing in 26 of them.

Relevant public land with the potential for housing was not identified in 29 towns for reasons such as the lack of availability of such land, the existing land occupancy and use, and site characteristics and constraints.

In certain cases, parcels of land were excluded from the report following consultation with stakeholders. Land in these census towns will be assessed again to determine their potential and suitability for inclusion in future reports.

Of the 32 least constrained parcels of land, the report identified 14 in Dublin, with the potential to deliver up to 8,930 homes, four in Cork with the potential to deliver up to 920 homes and three in Waterford with the potential for 930 homes.

There are two in Galway (420 homes) and one in each of Limerick (290 homes), Sligo (420 homes), Dundalk (210 homes) and Athlone (130 homes). In addition, the LDA identified five of the least constrained parcels of land in the newly examined census towns with the potential for 2,530 homes. This includes one parcel of state-owned land in each of Clonmel (320 homes), Enniscorthy (530 homes), Wexford (360 homes), Killarney (460 homes) and Nenagh (860 homes).

In addition to new parcels of land being added to the updated report, 13 parcels, which featured in the 2023 report, have now been removed and are no longer considered to have the potential for the delivery of affordable housing.

These lands have been removed following further assessments and engagement with their owners or stakeholders. In some cases, the owners have demonstrated that the sites are in use and are required to remain in use into the future. In other cases, the lands are already being progressed for housing or alternative uses.

John Coleman, Chief Executive of the LDA said: "Updating the Report on Relevant Public Land is a key part of the LDA’s work. The process creates a working guide to state-owned land in cities and towns and advises the Government on its potential use for affordable housing. Crucially, it also classifies the identified land, highlighting the high potential sites that could be developed in the short to medium term.

"The LDA currently has a strong pipeline of land with a growing number of housing projects at all stages from design to under construction. This includes state-owned, acquired land and partnership projects with local authorities on land they own.

"A significant amount of state-owned land has already been transferred to the LDA and we are working closely with public bodies to unlock further sites to add to our direct delivery pipeline. I would like to thank all the public bodies who have worked with us to date and I would like to commend them for playing their part in addressing the country’s housing need."