Sinn Féin spokesperson on Housing Eoin Ó Broin TD has described Tánaiste Leo Varadkar’s 40,000 home building target as “not credible”. 

The Dublin Mid west TD also said that the Tánaiste’s claim that “Fine Gael builds, is laughable”. 

Teachta Ó Broin said: 

“Fine Gael has been in Government for ten years. During that time housing output has remained low while house prices have increased by 99%.  

“Every single indicator demonstrates that Fine Gael’s housing policies have failed. Rents continue to rise. 

“Homelessness is unacceptable high. And a greater number of people are unable to put a secure and affordable roof over their heads. 

“Fine Gael’s Rebuilding Ireland housing policy promised to deliver 125,000 public and private homes. P18 of the document promised ‘to deliver over 25,000 units per annum on average over the period of the plan’. 

“However the CSO home completion statistics show that Government will be at least 35% below this target by the end of the year. 

“While some of this is down to Covid, even the pre Covid industry targets for 2020 and 2021 would have left the Government 20% short of the Rebuilding Ireland target. 

“The only conceivable way that any Government can double housing output is if it adopts Sinn Féin policy of doubling direct capital investment in social and affordable homes, and sets an annual target of 20,000 new public homes every year. 

“This long standing Sinn Féin policy has recently been echoed by the ESRI who have called for a doubling of capital investment by the state to deliver 18,000 social and affordable homes per year. 

“Fine Gael’s record on housing speaks for itself. The numbers and prices don’t lie. Leo Varadkar’s record is one of failure, his 40,000 new homes target is not credible and his claim that Fine Gael builds is laughable. 

“Only a dramatic shift in Government policy backed up by real capital investment will start to see the thousands of affordable homes that are needed delivered.”