“Glacial” home construction criticsed by opposition

Just 158 social homes were built in Ireland between January and April of this year, making it unlikely the government will hit their target of 9,300 social homes built in 2024.

The lacklustre figures have been criticised by members of the opposition, with Social Democrats TD and housing spokesperson Cian O’Callaghan calling the pace “glacial” and Labour leader Ivana Bacik remarking “the government has given up.”

O’Callaghan dug deeper into the statistics released by the Department of Housing, and found that 32 affordable purchase homes and 24 cost-rental homes were built in the first quarter of 2024.

For scale, the government’s target for 2024 is 6,400.

“These figures provide further evidence that this government, its rotating cast of Taoisigh and its Minister for Housing are incapable of delivering homes at the scale that is needed,” O’Callagh said.

He said that the likes of compulsory purchase orders, funding approved housing bodies and introducing specific zong legislation for affordable housing but have been rejected out of hand by the government.

“The glacial pace of social and affordable housing delivery is locking a generation out of housing; a general election, a new government and a new housing plan is now the only way of turning the tide on this crisis,” he said.

Bacik said that the government has ceded control of the issue to the private sector.

“It is a fundamental right for every person to have a safe and secure roof over their head, but this government is failing to deliver affordable and social housing options,” she said.

“In the first three months of 2024, we now know that only 158 new social homes were built. The target of new social homes for 2024 is 9,300 – clearly a much higher figure. This government is clearly going to fail abjectly in delivering on its housing commitments.”

She cited statistics from the housing commission which estimates a housing deficit ranging from 212,500 to 256,000 homes.

“This housing crisis has been created by years of failure by Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil to implement policies that would see increased supply of new homes. This is the crisis that they have created and that is being allowed to spiral,” she said.

Sinn Féin TD Mark Ward said that when he was a member of South Dublin County Council, Fine Gael voted against a housing development in Clonburris which Taoiseach Simon Harris personally visited on July 12.

He remarked that Fine Gael are attempting to claim credit for a housing development their local councillors voted against.