55 years to clear social housing waiting list, predicts Ó Broin

Sinn Féin TD Eoin Ó Broin has said it will take the government more than 55 years to clear the social housing waiting list based on current social housing output. 

The Dublin Mid-West TD’s comments were made in response to the Housing Agency report on council waiting lists, which showed the number of households waiting for social housing increased last year by 3%.

The Dublin Mid-West TD stated, “the Housing Agency’s Summary of Social Housing Needs Assessment Report shows that the number of households on council social housing waiting lists increased by 3% last year.  In 2025, there were 61,719 households waiting for social housing, up 1,778 on the previous year.”

“This does not include the 49,663 households living in the private rental sector in receipt of HAP nor the 16,384 households in receipt of RAS.  When these people are included the total number of households in need of social housing rises to 127,779,” he said.

“In recent years, the number of households in HAP or RAS accommodation has been declining, as small landlords exit the market and some families secure Council of AHB tenancies,” Ó Broin noted.

“Last year the overall number of people in need of social housing, when HAP and RAS tenants are added to the council list, fell by 2,215.  However, this was in a year were there were 9,088 new build social homes, 786 social housing acquisitions, 697 new social housing leases and more than 3,000 allocations from existing stock.  At this rate of delivery, it will take the Government more than 55 years to clear the social housing waiting lists.

“The bottom line is that the Government is not delivering anything close to the level of new build social housing to meet existing and emerging demand.  The Government’s housing plan aims to get to 12,000 new build social homes by 2030. At a minimum, the government should be delivering an average of 15,000 new build social homes a year aiming to get close to 20,000 by 2030.  The government should also be buying far more homes through the Tenant-in-Situ and vacant homeless acquisitions programmes to prevent homelessness and get people out of emergency accommodation more quickly.

“This is the only way to dramatically reduce unacceptable high social housing waiting list times, and to end long term homelessness.  Nobody should be waiting 10 to 15 years for a social home.  Budget 2027 must see a dramatic increase in investment in social housing to ensure that people languishing on council waiting lists and living in expensive and insecure HAP and RAS tenancies get the permanent homes they rightly deserve.”