Sinn Féin spokesperson on Housing, Eoin Ó Broin TD, has said the Government are “taking people for fools” with their latest so called housing ‘progress’ report.

The comments were made as the Government launched their Q1 housing report with no detail on progress from January to March on the delivery of Government housing programmes.
 
Teachta Ó Broin said:
 
“Today the Government has launched what they describe as a quarterly housing ‘progress’ report. As is now standard practice, the 52-page glossy report doesn’t include any information on the Government’s own housing delivery.
 
“There is no update on the number of social, affordable rental or affordable purchase homes delivered in the first quarter of this year.

“There is no update on the number of vacant property refurb grants drawn down, or first home loans actually drawn down in the first quarter of the year.
 
“There is also no update on the number of new private homes to purchase coming to the market in the first three months of the year. This is important as too much of the modest increase in supply is being snapped up by the expensive built-to-rent sector, further deepening the affordable housing crisis.
 
“Nor is there any information on what Government intends to do this year to address rising homelessness, rising rents or rising house prices.
 
“I suspect that the reason that these reports don’t provide any of this information is that yet again targets are not being met as the Government enters its fifth and final year of office.
 
“These tiresome so called ‘progress’ reports are a waste of time. Government is taking the public for fools.

“These reports do not actually track progress in Government delivery. They are just a rehash of data that is already in the public domain and are nothing short of a desperate effort from Government to give the impression of progress where none is actually being made.
 
“It is also worth noting that significant actions in the Government’s housing plan are delayed.

“These include the review of the AHB sector, the establishment of the demonstration centre for modern methods of construction, the review of the NPF, the review of the Government’s housing targets, the ‘First Right of Refusal’ legislation promised over a year ago, the legislation to underpin the cost-rental tenant in situ scheme, the publication of the report from the Housing Commission on the right to housing.
 
“The longer this Government is in office the worse the housing crisis will get. That is why we need a General Election, a change of Government, and a new housing plan that prioritises the delivery of tens of thousands of affordable homes for working people.”