€50m boost to unlock more than 4,500 homes in Wicklow towns
The Wicklow PeopleWicklow County Council is set to receive a significant boost in housing linked infrastructure, following the government’s announcement that three major projects have been approved under the new €1 billion Housing Infrastructure Investment Fund (HIFF).
Funding estimated at €50 million is intended to unlock land for thousands of new homes in Bray and Rathnew, marking one of the most substantial infrastructure investments in the county over recent years.
While the news has been welcomed by representatives in the east of the county, it has also reignited long‑standing frustrations in west Wicklow, who feel the region has been over-looked.
The HIIF, launched this year, is designed to fund the roads, bridges, utilities and transport links that are essential for large-scale housing development.
According to the Department of Housing, the 82 projects approved nationwide have the potential to create 200,000 homes, both directly and indirectly, by removing bottlenecks in water, energy, drainage and transport networks.
The fund is managed by the new Housing Activation Office, which will coordinate investment across multiple agencies including Uisce Éireann, ESB Networks, the National Transport Authority and Transport Infrastructure Ireland.
The allocation of funds in Wicklow will be used for the Rathnew Inner Relief Road, a new pedestrian and cycle bridge at Fassaroe, and a major distributor road linking the N11/M11 to Enniskerry.
These schemes are expected to unlock land for more than 4,500 homes directly and indirectly, with the Fassaroe area identified in the Bray Local Area Plan as having capacity for around 4,000.
The Rathnew Inner Relief Road, costed between €10 million and €20 million, will provide a long-planned new route through Rathnew, easing congestion and improving connectivity with Wicklow town.
According to the Department, the project will directly unlock land for 418 new homes and indirectly support a further 186.
Cllr Gail Dunne welcomed the announcement, calling the road a key piece of infrastructure that will support sustainable growth and improve daily life for residents.
In Bray, the new pedestrian and cycle bridge across the N11/M11, costed at under €10 million, will provide a sustainable transport link between the new urban district and the wider Bray area, while the distributor road connecting the N11/M11 to Enniskerry will form the backbone of the Fassaroe development, providing access to lands earmarked for new homes and relieving pressure on older, narrower routes.
It is expected to cost around €20 million.
Cllr Melanie Corrigan said the projects would greatly improve access, connectivity and transport options. She described the announcement as a major step forward for Bray’s future growth.
Cllr John Ward, while welcoming the investment, warned that rapid population growth must be matched with community facilities.
He said that if Wicklow is to absorb between 4,000 and 7,000 new homes in the Fassaroe area, green spaces for sport and recreation must be protected and expanded, including the grounds of Bray Emmets GAA Club.
Tánaiste and local TD Simon Harris described the investment as transformative, saying it would finally address the infrastructure deficits that have long held back housing delivery in the county.
He said the lack of key infrastructure such as roads, water and drainage had prevented homes from being built at the scale needed, and that the HIIF would allow the State to intervene directly to remove those barriers.
Tanaiste Simon Harris. © Bairbre Holmes/PA Wire
He emphasised that the funding would be allocated annually as projects progress through their delivery stages.
Wicklow County Council chief Executive Emer O’Gorman said the investment would go a long way toward delivering the council’s goal of providing further housing across the county, while new cathaoirleach Caroline Winstanley said the projects would help unlock housing and support sustainable development.
However, the reaction in west Wicklow was markedly different.
Cllr Gerry O’Neill criticised the government for failing to allocate any HIIF funding to the region, particularly the long‑awaited upgrade of the N81. He said that “not a penny for the west” had been allocated.
He argued that the HIIF’s focus on areas of population growth effectively locks west Wicklow out of future investment, because without infrastructure, the region cannot grow, and without growth, it cannot qualify for infrastructure funding.
The N81, which runs from Tallaght through Blessington, Hollywood and Baltinglass, has become a symbol of frustration.
It is one of the few remaining national secondary roads near Dublin that has not been significantly upgraded in decades.
Local representatives have long argued that the road is unsafe, heavily congested and a barrier to economic development.
The shelving of the N81 upgrade scheme several years ago remains a sore point, and the absence of any mention of the route in the HIIF announcement has reignited anger.
The sense of neglect was underscored at a recent meeting of Wicklow County Council where a series of issues seemed to reflect a wider pattern of underinvestment.
Cllr Avril Cronin highlighted the derelict condition of the old courthouse in Baltinglass, a prominent building left to deteriorate in the centre of the town.
She also raised concerns about delays in progressing a sports facility on zoned land in Baltinglass, despite a detailed study by the local Bulldogs club and unanimous support from district councillors. Cllr Cronin pressed for a meeting between the club and the council, noting that the group had contacted the local authority but had yet to receive a response.
She also criticised the lack of progress on a parking and town centre strategy for Blessington, pointing out that a key site with potential for housing, parking and community use had been under consideration for years without an update.
Cllr Cronin also reminded officials that a meeting with Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) on the N81 had been promised weeks earlier, yet no date had been set.
She said the Baltinglass Municipal District was the only district to submit questions on the N81 and that if other districts were not interested in attending, then a delegation from Baltinglass should meet TII.