![\"Newly](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/2_newbuild-housing-estate-stock.jpg\")
<\/p>\nThe chair of the EU Parliament\u2019s Housing Crisis Committee said she was surprised by the revelation<\/p>\n
Newly built houses (file photo)(Image: Getty)<\/p>\n
Ireland hasn\u2019t properly utilised EU funds for housing despite having one of the most severe crises in the bloc, it has been revealed.<\/p>\n
Chair of the EU Parliament\u2019s Housing Crisis Committee<\/a>, Irene Tinagli, said she was \u201csurprised\u201d that Ireland has \u201cnot been particularly active in using European funds for housing\u201d. Under the 2021-2027 budget, the EU has mobilised more than \u20ac43 billion for housing and building renovations under the European Affordable Housing Plan.<\/p>\n Ms Tingali said these funds are utilised by countries that are interested and willing, adding: \u201cIreland hasn’t been using these funds as much as other member states have, so we will also look into how we can improve accessibility to these funds.\u201d<\/p>\n The Italian MEP said Ireland has been a good user of cohesion funds in the past, and questioned whether a \u201clack of coordination and governance\u201d is preventing the use of these funds. She and six other members of the committee finished a three-day fact-finding mission to Dublin <\/a>to better understand the city\u2019s housing crisis.<\/p>\n This included Irish MEPs Aodh\u00e1n \u00d3 R\u00edord\u00e1in, Ciaran Mullooly and Luke Ming Flanagan<\/a>. During the visit they examined newly built accommodation units for homeless people with Focus Ireland<\/a>, housing projects managed by the Iveagh Trust and of the city\u2019s newest suburbs, Cherrywood.<\/p>\n Pictured at the site visit to Cherrywood. L-R: David Murphy, Director Development of Hines, Ian Lydon, Managing Director Hines Real Estate Ireland, MEP Irene Tinagli (S&D, Italy) \u2013 chair, MEP Aodh\u00e1n \u00d3 R\u00edord\u00e1in (S&D, Ireland), MEP Georgiana Teodorescu (ECR, Romania), MEP Marco Falcone (EPP, Italy), MEP Marko Ve\u0161ligaj (S&D, Croatia). Photo by Kevin McFeely FLY media(Image: Kevin McFeely | FLY media)<\/p>\n Speaking after the fact-finding mission, Ms Tingali said she discovered that Ireland\u2019s capital is \u201cone of the most severe\u201d in terms of prices compared to other EU cities. She said \u201cregular people\u201d have not been able to keep up with the rise in prices, adding: \u201cAffordability is at the core of the housing crisis<\/a>. The last few days in Ireland, we met people face to face to see what the issues are here and what is being done to tackle them.<\/p>\n![\"Pictured](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1_046-Eu-House-cherrywood-27052026.jpg\")
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