Kajima Partnerships has strengthened its commitment to the Irish market with the appointment of property and development finance professional, Dwayne McAleer, as its Dublin-based country head for Kajima Ireland.
Across both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, McAleer will be leading Kajima’s activity in financing and developing projects across the healthcare sector, including hospitals, community care and elderly living communities, where pressure on capacity and services is increasing.
Estimates from CBRE suggest that 7,500 new nursing home beds will be required in the Republic of Ireland by 2026, while the total number of registered residential beds in Northern Ireland declined by 302 between 2008-2018, according to the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority.
Social and affordable housing, of which there is currently a shortage across Ireland, will be a further focus for Kajima Ireland, with reports from the Central Bank and Economic and Social Research Institute agreeing that 30,000 new homes are required annually to meet the needs of a growing population in the Republic alone.
The appointment of McAleer is timely with a number of ongoing projects for Kajima across Ireland, including the continued construction during the pandemic of both the Second PPP Social Housing Bundle and the new Community Treatment and Care Centre in Lisburn, Northern Ireland, and a full planning and decision notice secured for a new community healthcare centre in Newry, County Down.
Located in Dublin, McAleer is a former senior executive of Ireland’s National Development Finance Agency and, more recently, the Land Development Agency.
With three decades of experience in the Irish market, he brings a strong background in unlocking state-owned land for meaningful investment, in partnership with both public and private landowners, as well as in the procurement, financing, construction and operation of large-scale private finance development.
Recent projects he has overseen include the progression of the Shanganagh development in Dublin, Ireland’s first large-scale residential development consisting of 100% social and affordable Build to Rent properties.
Designed to the Passive House standard, McAleer secured successful investment readiness for the project, including planning permission.
A Chartered Civil Engineer with an MBA in Construction & Real Estate, McAleer additionally played a central role in the regulation and delivery of the new third-level education and healthcare campus at Grangegorman, central Dublin, including large, complex and bespoke public-facing buildings.
He said of the appointment: “I am delighted to be joining Kajima and look forward to strengthening its Irish operations and growing the team here.
“Kajima has a wealth of international experience and expertise in social infrastructure and a well-deserved reputation for delivering high-quality projects in tandem with public and private partners.
“Part of my role is also to help build up the funding capacity in the market, which already includes many established institutions, to further enhance deal flow.
“I have no doubt that this new base for Kajima Partnerships will have a transformative impact on the Irish market.”
