Mayo project misses out on share of €1bn Housing Infrastructure Fund 

A Fine Gael councillor has expressed surprise that a project in Balla missed out on funding under the Government’s Housing Infrastructure Investment Fund (HIIF). The disappointment comes despite neighbouring Westport securing funding.

“We prepared an application for Back Lane in Balla. It didn’t get through, it wasn’t funded,” Cllr Cyril Burke said at last week's meeting of Castlebar Municipal District, adding that he was “surprised” to learn no funding was allocated to the Castlebar area.

The HIIF was launched by the Government in January 2026, with a €1bn allocation aimed at accelerating housing delivery by funding key infrastructure needed to unlock development sites across the country.

On June 16, Housing Minister James Browne announced that 82 projects would receive a share of the €1bn fund. A total of 138 applications were submitted by local authorities across the country.

In Mayo, one project was approved for funding. Lodge Road in Westport will receive up to €10m for a Pedestrian and Vulnerable Road User Infrastructure Project. The project is estimated to directly unlock land for 200 residential units, with a further 300 units unlocked indirectly.

It will include upgrading approximately 900 metres of road, with active travel infrastructure, upgraded public lighting, and sustainable drainage systems.

Cllr Burke proposed that the municipal district should look at their lands and see which areas have the best potential to bring forward “at least one, if not two projects”.

“I’m sure there will be a second round, we should see if there are any projects around the town that we need funding to activate.” 

“I understand the likes of Wicklow got several millions in relation to the activation [fund],” he added.

• Published as part of the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.