Sinn Féin spokesperson on Housing Eoin Ó Broin TD has said that delivery of affordable homes is needed, not more glossy reports.

His comments were made after the Minister for Housing Darragh O’Brien launched his latest housing plan progress report.

Teachta Ó Broin said:

“The government has promised to deliver 9000 new-build social homes and 4,100 affordable and cost rental homes this year. While these targets were never ambitious enough, it is worrying that nowhere in the Minister for Housing’s 45-page report published today are we told how many of these much-needed social and affordable homes have been delivered to date.

“Once again, Darragh O’Brien has published an update that is light on delivery and heavy on promises. That is no good to families languishing in emergency accommodation or those unable to rent or buy at affordable prices.

“We know that, halfway through the year, just 20% of the 9000 new-build social homes had been delivered. No update on the actual progress on the new-build social housing programme is contained in today’s report.

“Nor is there any update on the actual delivery of affordable purchase or cost rental homes. According to a Parliamentary Question answered on October 25th, just 425 affordable purchase homes and 490 cost rental homes had been delivered by that day.

“This is all a very long way off the 13,100 social and affordable homes promised by the Minister for Housing in his housing plan.

“While it is clear that the overall housing target of 24,600 is likely to be met this year, it is also clear that the government continues to be way behind their key social and affordable housing commitments.

“At a time when rents and house prices are continuing to rise. With homelessness at historic highs and an entire generation of young people locked out of affordable housing, delivery of the government’s social and affordable housing targets is what counts.

“Indeed even if these targets are met by year’s end, which seems unlikely at this stage, social and affordable housing need will continue to rise because the targets themselves are simply too low.

“To meet pent-up and emerging social and affordable housing demand, the government must deliver at least 20,000 new social and affordable homes annually. Unfortunately their plan lacks that scale of ambition and until this changes the housing crisis will continue.”

PQ response on affordable delivery to date in 2022: Housing Provision – Tuesday, 25 Oct 2022 – Parliamentary Questions (33rd Dáil) – Houses of the Oireachtas