The National Asset Management Agency (NAMA) says funding is in place to deliver 4,500 new houses and apartments over the next 18 months.

NAMA says it is progressing sites through the design and planning process, with a potential to deliver up to 25,000 residential units.

Its CEO Brendan McDonagh has identified 12 areas in Dublin (ranging from Ballsbridge to Ashtown) where construction is now ready to begin on a total of 1,000 units.

Mr McDonagh was speaking at the National Housing Supply Conference - convened by NAMA to discuss issues facing the housing market.

The agency says sites controlled by NAMA debtors and receivers could deliver 40% of the demand for houses in Dublin, which had been identified in a recent ESRI study.

The ESRI calculated demand for approximately 7,000 houses in Dublin annually up to 2020.

NAMA says it will provide funding to ensure the delivery of the new homes - and will also provide "intensive project management" to support debtors and receivers as well as to address legal issues, feasibility analysis, design, planning, procurement, construction and disposal.

NAMA says it has identified 14 sites in the areas of Naas, Dunshaughlin and Kilternan which are "shovel ready" and have the potential to deliver 398 units.

And the agency is also looking at sites in other counties - including areas in Cork, Limerick and Galway.