The Government is planning to commission a feasibility study into whether a huge programme of building wooden-frame homes would help meet the State's growing housing demand.
Over 500,000 new homes will be needed over the next decade, according to Government estimates. Over 60,000 people are currently on the national housing waiting list.
Almost 50,000 new houses have been built across the country this year. The Minister for Housing and Urban Renewal, Mr Robert Molloy hopes that building more timber-frame houses could speed up the process.
About 12 per cent of new homes are currently being built with timber frames. However, a major feasibility study is to be undertaken before more wide-scale building begins. It is hoped the study will be completed by next summer.
"This form of construction could make a significant contribution to the achievement of the overall national housing plan over the coming years," Mr Molloy said.
"This study will provide everybody, Government, the consumer and industry with an independent analysis of the current position and chart the way forward for the role of timber frame housing in contributing to our overall housing stock," he added.