The first residents are expected to move into the new modular homes being built to house refugees from Ukraine this June.
It was initially planned that the first quick-build houses for this purpose would be installed last November.
The Department of Integration said that the timeline for installing the houses at several sites around the country has been “recalibrated” based on its experience evaluating sites, working with communities near the selected sites and may the timeline for manufacturing houses, reports RTE.
It was a “new accommodation strand which has had to be developed from scratch” and it took more time and work to prepare the sites than originally planned.
The Office of Public Works (OPW), which is responsible for delivering the homes before they are handed over to the ministry, said the project would be progressed “as fast as possible and that the first homes will be installed on a phased basis” over time.
The timeline was said to be affected by the need for rehabilitation and challenges in providing utilities.
Work is underway at seven centres across the country and the delivery of the units has begun.
A 28-unit development on a site on Fernan Road in Cavan will be one of the first to be completed, along with a 64-unit development in Machan in Cork.
More than 70,000 people from Ukraine have come to Ireland after fleeing the war, and more than 61,000 of them have sought asylum from the state.
To date, locations in Cavan town, Mahon in Co Cork, Thurles, Sligo town, Claremorris in Co Mayo, Rathdowney in Co Laois and Clonminch in Co Offaly are being progressed.
Acting Chief Commercial Officer Eibhlín O’Connor said modules could have a “massive benefit” in providing housing more quickly.
“It is faster, if you can deliver the sites, you can turn a scheme like this around in less than 12 months, whereas traditional procurement could take three years and typically takes three years to deliver”, she said, reports RTE.
Clúid Housing already has a few hundred modular homes on their books and the number is only growing.
It has two pilot projects in Wexford and Laois working directly with manufacturers to design and build them.
“We are increasing our capacity, as we see there is an issue with labour and supply chain shortages. It is a much more lean construction to fast-track delivery”, reports RTE.
The Ministry of Housing said it is working with local authorities to speed up the delivery of social housing, including through the use of Modern Construction Methods (MMC) – including prefabricated and modular building units.
To date, 850 social housing units with MMC have been delivered by the end of the third quarter of 2022, and another 3,000 units are on the horizon.
“The Department will continue to work with local authorities to maximise delivery through this mechanism”, it said, reports RTE.
The local authorities were said to have been informed that MMC could be accepted to carry out social housing projects on municipal land.
An update to the Housing for All plan released last November includes targets to increase the use of MMC in public housing.
The ministry said that MMC has been identified as a key measure to address increased housing supply and that coordination of activities to promote its adoption is being led by the enterprise ministry, reports RTE.
All new premises must comply with building codes and building control requirements and achieve a life span of 60 years for all key elements.
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