There are 329 houses in Galway which have been granted planning permission, with a condition banning bulk sales.
In May of last year, the government issued new guidance for An Bord Pleanála and local authorities, seeking the a condition be added to planning permission for housing developments ring-fencing the sale of houses to individual purchasers.
As May 18 of this year, that condition has been applied to just under 16,000 homes granted planning permission in the state according to CSO data.
Of these, there are 204 homes approved in Galway City that may not be sold to corporate entities, or in bulk sales to an individual, with another 125 such houses in Galway County.
Commenting on the data, the Minister for Housing Darragh O’Brien said, “The government is committed to supporting homeownership.”
“These data demonstrate that we are making the right interventions and delivering for those who wish get to get on the property ladder.”
“Through our plan, Housing for All, we are taking every possible measure to increase supply and provider greater access to homeownership for those who want it.”
When this condition is applied, all houses and duplexes must be exclusively for sale and occupation by separate, individual households for two years after their completion.
Houses earmarked for social or affordable housing are exempt from this condition, and it will lapse if they have not sold after two years, if the local authority is satisfied that reasonable efforts have been made to sell the houses.
This measure notably does not apply to apartments, which can be a big deal in large scale mixed developments, or ones which are exclusively apartments.
