Sinn Féin spokesperson on Housing, Eoin Ó Broin TD, has said Darragh O’Brien has 7 questions to answer as he launches his Quarter 3 Progress Report on his housing plan.
These questions relate to the key Government funded schemes for the delivery of social and affordable housing and the purchase of private homes. These are the key metrics against which the Government’s housing plan must be judged.
Teachta Ó Broin said:
“Each quarter Darragh O’Brien publishes a lengthy progress report on his housing plan. However, each quarter, key information is missing from the report. This information relates to public housing delivery and schemes for private home purchase.
“In order for the public to be able to assess whether the Government is making any progress on tackling the housing crisis, Darragh O’Brien must answer 7 questions relating to these key schemes:
“1: How many of the promised 9,100 new build social homes have been delivered by the end of Q3 2023?
“2: How many of the promised 3,500 affordable homes from Local Authorities, Approved Housing Bodies and the LDA have been delivered by the end of Q3 2023?
“3: How many of the 2,000 First Home scheme home purchases have actually been purchased with the loans drawn down by buyers by the end of Q3 2023?
“4: How many Croí Cónaithe Towns Refurbishment Grants have been drawn down by the end of Q3 2023?
“5: How many Local Authority Home Loans have been drawn down by the end of Q3 2023?
“6: How much of the €4bn capital funding allocated for social and affordable housing by Government, AHB borrowing, and the Land Development Agency has been spent by the end of Q3 2023?
“7: What additional measures does Government intend to put in place in the coming months to stop homelessness continuing to rise through the winter?
“These are the key Government schemes for tackling the housing and homelessness crisis. They are also the areas where Darragh O’Brien has consistently missed his targets and underperformed.
“More than any other reason, this constant failure is the reason why house prices and rents are continuing to rise and why homelessness continues to rise.
“Until Government not only meets but increases and exceeds their current public housing targets, this housing and homelessness crisis will continue. It will be very interesting to see if Darragh O’Brien provides clear answers to these 7 questions today.”
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