Sinn Féin housing spokesperson Eoin Ó Broin TD has said that ‘the Government is running scared of publishing their revised housing targets ‘.

The Dublin Mid-West TD’s comments come amid ‘increasing confusion as to whether the Government have agreed the new targets and intend to publish them in advance of the general election’.

Teachta Ó Broin said:

“For most of this year the Minister for Housing Darragh O’Brien promised that he would publish revised housing targets in October, including a breakdown of the number of social and affordable homes to be delivered over the next five years.

“In recent days there has been a slew of confusing and contradictory statements from the Minister and Taoiseach Simon Harris and Tánaiste Micheál Martin on this issue.

“The latest comments from the Tánaiste suggest that the Government’s targets have already effectively been published. This is simply not the case.

“The draft National Develpment Plan Review suggests that new housing output needs to rise to an average of 50,000 new homes a year. This is 20% below what the Housing Commission have recommended.

“Crucially the Government have said nothing to date on whether they plan to increase the targets for social and affordable housing from 2025 to 2029.

“The Housing Commission have made very clear recommendations on this issue stating at 20% of all housing stock should be social and affordable, from the current figure of 10%.

“To achieve this Government would have to double output of social and affordable housing from the low point of 10,000 units last year to more than 20,000 in 2025 and an average of 25,000 social and affordable units a year out to 2029.

“Sinn Féin has set out in our alternative housing plan A Home Of Your Own our targets if in Government from next year. We accept the Housing Commission’s recommendations that at least 300,000 new homes will be required from 2025 to 2029 and at least 125,000 should be social and affordable delivered by Local Authorities and Approved Housing Bodies.

“If the Government are thinking about not publishing their targets voters will rightly ask, what are they trying to hide? The Government are running scared of publishing their revised housing targets because they do not want the voters to know that their plan is to continue with inadequate social and affordable housing delivery.”