Launch of Tuath's ESG Report 2024

Tuath Housing publishes Sustainability Report as it opens 255 new ultra-low energy homes in Dublin

“Every new home we provide is an opportunity to do better” – Tuath

DUBLIN, 19 Nov 2025: Tuath Housing has today published its second Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Report, setting out its progress and priorities in delivering sustainable, inclusive housing for people and communities across Ireland.

Read Tuath’ ESG Report 2024 by clicking here.

The report, prepared in accordance with Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) standards, reflects Tuath’s commitment to accountability and transparency. Tuath remains the first Approved Housing Body (AHB) in Ireland to publish a full ESG report aligned with GRI standards, underscoring its leadership in responsible, evidence-based housing delivery.

Tuath is Ireland’s largest AHB, with 25 years of experience of providing homes across Ireland. The organisation is on track to provide almost 2,300 social and Cost Rental homes this year, bringing it to more than 7,000 homes in the past three years.

The Association launched the report this morning at Whitehaven, a new mixed-tenure housing development in Santry, Dublin. It is Tuath’s first PassivHaus development and one of the first PassivHaus schemes to be provided by an AHB in Ireland. Whitehaven offers 255 social and Cost Rental homes built to PassivHaus standard, resulting in ultra-low energy homes that require almost no traditional space heating; significantly reducing energy bills and emissions. The Cost Rental homes provided are being offered at 30% below market rents, making affordability a reality for residents. There were over 7,200 applications for the 161 Cost Rental homes within the development.

Sustainability in Action

Tuath Housing has embedded ‘A Sustainable Future’ as a core strategic objective, ensuring that environmental and social responsibility guide every decision. Today, 82% of Tuath homes achieve exceptional energy efficiency standards, meeting NZEB or BER A2 ratings, with all new homes built to NZEB standards since 2021—delivering reduced energy costs and enhanced living conditions for residents. Over 600 homes have already undergone energy upgrades, creating warmer, more comfortable spaces while lowering bills and emissions.

Beyond housing, they prioritise community support and inclusion through investment in shared spaces, resident programmes, and the newly established Tuath Foundation, helping people thrive where they live. Our commitment to sustainability and financial strength was recently recognised with an A+ credit rating from global agency Fitch, underscoring our long-term resilience and responsibility.

While superior design standards such as passive housing shows the way forward in sustainable residential design, challenges remain for Approved Housing Bodies in upgrading older, lower rated homes to higher energy efficiency standards due to funding constraints in the sector. In addition, complexities around owner management companies in apartment buildings remain a challenge. Tuath welcomes the recent recommendation by the AHB Strategic Forum to establish a Green Deal for AHBs to achieve climate resilience.

Efficiency, comfort and community

Whitehaven is one of Ireland’s first PassivHaus social housing schemes, offering cost savings and comfortable living to the hundreds of people who will call it home. Some of the benefits of PassivHaus homes include:

Easy to heat and keep warm, thanks to high levels of insulation and airtight design

Constant fresh air (even with the windows closed) through heat recovery ventilation

Noise reduction due to triple-glazed windows and insulated design

Designed to shut out damp and mould for a healthier indoor environment

Whitehaven will be part of one of the world’s largest PassivHaus monitoring projects, with its performance tracked in a post-occupancy evaluation study, PassivHaus consultants Mosart will monitor everything from energy use and air quality to occupant comfort and wellbeing; linking design intent to lived experience. The scheme also includes dedicated community spaces that encourage inclusion and social connection; a key part of Tuath’s commitment to building thriving, sustainable neighbourhoods.

Whitehaven was developed by Tuath and Cairn in partnership with Fingal County Council. Tuath and Cairn are working together on a second development of 268 homes at Niven Oaks in Santry, due for delivery in 2026. MCORM was the project architect for this development.

“Our focus is on responsible growth”

The ESG Report 2024 and the new homes at Whitehaven were officially launched by the Mayor of Fingal Cllr Tom O’Leary and Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage James Browne TD.

Speaking at the launch, Mayor O’Leary said: “We are proud to support Tuath Housing’s commitment to sustainability and the delivery of new homes. The opening of the Whitehaven development in Fingal, with 255 high-quality, energy-efficient homes, is a shining example of what can be achieved when innovation and partnership come together. By combining environmental responsibility with innovative housing solutions, we can help build places that support families, foster connections, and safeguard our shared future.”

Minister Browne said: “I am delighted to be here in Whitehaven today for the launch of these much needed new homes. It is great to see these homes now being delivered to those who need them. We are responding to a housing crisis and we need more homes like these across all tenures.

“By focusing on sustainability in our procurement and supply chains, we can make low-carbon homes more accessible and affordable at scale. Our goal is to make sustainable housing standard. As materials and expertise become more available, the cost of building sustainably continues to fall and this allows us to deliver long-term environmental and social value as a standard, not an exception.

“Our new housing plan intends to ramp-up the delivery of mixed-tenure developments like this to provide safe and permanent housing options and build strong, sustainable communities.

“As Minister, I will remain laser focused on removing any barriers to the further delivery of homes and the new Government Housing plan that was released last week provides further certainty in this regard across the entire sector.”

Will McCabe, Director, Board of Tuath Housing, said: “This report isn’t about claiming perfection — it’s about showing progress and being open about where we can do better. Our aim is to build and manage homes that are good for people, good for communities, and good for the planet. ESG reporting helps us measure that impact and be held accountable. Every new home we provide is an opportunity to do better – to listen, to learn, and to create communities that last. Our focus is on responsible growth; building homes that meet people’s needs today while contributing positively to tomorrow.”

Michael Stanley, Cairn Chief Executive Officer, said: “Almost 700 people will soon call Whitehaven, Santry home. The scheme reflects our commitment to deliver partner value through pace, scale, and sustainability. These 255 homes are also built to PassivHaus standard, offering significant energy cost savings to residents. We are proud to continue our partnership with both Tuath Housing and Fingal County Council.”

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