Sinn Féin spokesperson on Housing, Eoin Ó Broin TD, has expressed concern that the government looks set to miss its social and affordable housing targets yet again.

The Dublin Mid-West TD’s comments were made after the Department of Housing released the public housing output figures for Q2 of this year.

Teachta Ó Broin said:

“The Department of Housing has released their Quarter 2 social and affordable housing delivery figures for this year. As with previous years, output is way behind where it should be.

“Just 1,174 of the promised 9,300 new-build social homes were completed by the end of June of this year. That’s just 12.6% of the target, significantly behind where delivery was at the same point last year.

“Of the 4,400 affordable homes to be delivered by Local Authorities, Approved Housing Bodies and the Land Development Agencies this year, just 552 were completed by the end of June; 166 affordable purchase homes by Local Authorities, 130 cost rental homes by Approved Housing Bodies and 262 cost rental homes by the LDA. That represents just 11.8% of the targets.

“While delivery always increases in the second half of the year, it is hard to see either the new-build social or Council, AHB and LDA affordable housing targets being met before the end of the year. For the fifth year in a row, the government looks set to miss its social and affordable housing targets.

“This is because the Minister for Housing Darragh O’Brien has refused to reform the approval, procurement, and delivery systems for social and affordable housing, resulting in projects taking too much time to get on site, ultimately delaying the delivery of much needed social and affordable homes.

“Sinn Féin’s alternative housing plan, A Home Of Your Own, not only sets out much more ambitious plans for social and affordable housing delivery, we have also set out the reforms that we would implement in government to accelerate the delivery of much needed public housing.”

The latest figures can be found on the Department’s website here.