Former minister for the environment Eamon Ryan has been appointed by the European Commission to chair their housing advisory board.
Having run unsuccessfully for the Dublin constituency in the 2014 EU parliament elections, this is Mr Ryan’s first job in an EU institution.
The former Green Party leader will lead the 15-person board which will answer to the commission’s housing taskforce.
It is “tasked with providing concrete, independent policy recommendations for the commission to consider” in relation to the European Affordable Housing Plan, expected to be released in early 2026.
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The EU’s renewed housing initiative “intends to at least double renovation rates in the EU by breaking down long-standing barriers to energy and resource-efficient renovation as well as improving reuse and recycling”.
“By 2030 the construction sector could see 35 million renovated buildings and up to 160,000 additional green jobs,” the commission said.
The board met for the first time yesterday and is expected to reconvene in September.
The commission said “over 200 qualified individuals applied” to sit on the board, with the final board being “a balanced representation across different profiles and areas of expertise, along with a geographical and gender balance”.
Other members of the board include university professors, typically in sociology, economics and government, current and former politicians, investment managers and real estate executives.
Mr Ryan stood down from his Green Party leadership position in June 2024 after a poor result in EU and local elections. He did not contest the general election later that year.
He has served as minister for transport and minister for the environment, climate and communications from 2020 to 2025.
He was first elected to Dáil Éireann from 2002 to 2011 and again from 2016 to 2024.
