The programme for Government commits to the building of 25,000 new homes every year through to 2020. The Minister, Deputy Coveney, has claimed that 14,932 new homes were built last year. However, a number of experts have strongly disputed this figure, suggesting that the actual number could be as low as half that. This criticism has been supported by the recent release of the CSO housing data and the Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government's own building control management system figures. Two things are now clear. The first is that ESB connections are not a reliable method of counting new builds. The second is that the Minister, Deputy Coveney, has no idea whatsoever of how many new homes are actually being built. Will the Government use the opportunity of the forthcoming building control Bill to introduce a new and reliable data source for house-building in order that people will actually know whether or not the Government is meeting its own targets?

I understand the approach taken to measuring house completions is the same as that which has been in place for many years and is based on ESB connections. The figure went from a high of 90,000 at one stage to a low of about 8,000 but it has now recovered significantly to 15,000. The Minister's ambition is to push it on. No individual indicator is perfect and the Department does not pretend that it is. Work is being done by the CSO to establish if there are better indicators but it is a fairly robust sign of the direction in which we are moving. It gives us a sign of the progress we are making. There is a group within the CSO looking at what are the best measures of house completions. It has not been yet developed. The ESB connection measure is one that has considerable historic value and it continues to be a relevant indicator.