Sinn Féin spokesperson oin Housing, Eoin Ó Broin TD, has accused Minister for Housing Darragh O’Brien of “misleading the public on the number of new homes that have been commenced so far this year”.

The Dublin Mid-West TD’s comments were made as the Department of Housing published new commencement notice figures for September, showing that 11,385 commencement notices were lodged that month.

Teachta Ó Broin said:

“Today the Department of Housing published the figures for commencement notices lodged in September. That month saw 11,385 notices lodged with the local authority Building Control Management System.

“Minister for Housing Darragh O’Brien is claiming that on the basis of these figures, 49,000 new homes have actually commenced construction since January and 57,000 homes have commenced construction in the last 12 months.

“Minister O’Brien is deliberately misleading the public on the actual level of new home commencements. 

“We know that the number of commencement notices was artificially inflated in both April and September this year as developers sought to avail of the development levy and water connection waiver.

“This means that significant numbers of commencement notices were submitted on developments where commencement won’t actually take place for many months, if not longer.

“This has been confirmed by internal Department of Finance memos as published in the Sunday Business Post and the Irish Daily Mail.

“The truth is, Minister O’Brien has no idea how many homes actually commenced construction so far this year.

“What we do know is the number of homes completed so far this year is actually less than last year.

“This is because the Government housing plan is failing to stimulate any meaningful growth in either public or private sector home delivery.

“Minister O’Brien is desperate to spin a narrative that he and his Government are making progress on housing, when everyone knows the opposite is the case.

“House prices and rents are rising. New home building is stagnant.

“Social and affordable housing targets are being missed for the fifth year in a row. And homelessness is at record levels, and still rising.

“What today’s media spin from Minister O’Brien demonstrates is that they will say absolutely anything as polling day approaches. But people know their own lived experience.

“They know the Government’s housing plan is failing. And they know that only a new Government with a new housing plan can fix the mess caused by eight years of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael housing policy.”