A futuristic £8 million (€10.2 million) housing development on the outskirts of Ballinasloe, Co Galway will be built by an Irish developer and a London-based technology consultancy.

The development will consist of 28 houses, each wired for the deployment of the latest technology. The buildings measure between 2,500 and 3,500 square feet, and will be priced at approximately £300,000 each.

The technology will be deployed by GI Consultancy, which has offices in London and Dublin and was founded by Mr Brendan Hannigan, a native of Tullamore, Co Offaly.

The centrepiece of the development is a communications room in each house, where a central server can be fitted to enable various gadgets and devices to communicate with each other. The houses will all be wired for software-based multi-room audio, ISDN lines, Web cameras, surveillance cameras, electronic blinds, electronic heating control, interactive satellite and website server control.

By using a mobile phone to communicate with the central server in each house, the owner will be able to control devices remotely. "If you are away for a couple of weeks, you can regulate the heating from your mobile phone or switch on the lights to deter burglars," says Mr Halligan.

"The Web cams in each room aren't a Big Brother effect but they will give parents, who want to know their children are safe with babysitters, reassurance."

The first showhouse at the development is scheduled to be finished by St Patrick's Day this year. At that stage, buyers of properties can request the exact type of technologies they want to install in their dream homes.

Local developer Brian Conneely & Co Ltd expects to realise more than £8 million in selling the completed development. The concept emerged almost two years ago when GI Consultancy, in conjunction with Dunster developments, introduced the concept of a technology house in London. The so-called "millennium house" was sold last year to a un-named celebrity for £6.2 million. However, the development in Galway is not intended for just the rich and famous, according to Mr Halligan.

"Every house will come installed with intelligent lighting systems and wired for a central server," he said. "But then it's up to the buyer to choose a suite of technology devices."