I ask the Minister how much money the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage is returning to central Exchequer funds from 2022. According to the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform, approximately €241 million of the Minister’s housing budget from 2022 is being returned to the central Exchequer. This is money should have been spent on building much-needed affordable homes. Is this figure of €241 million accurate and how much of his 2022 housing budget is being returned to central Exchequer funds?

I thank the Deputy for his question. First, that would be a matter for the appropriation accounts. We spent more money and had a bigger budget than we have ever had in housing in 2022. There were some constraints on delivery, which I believe the Deputy might accept, in respect of the supply chain difficulties and some projects are running into this year. We said very publicly that we will use our full 10% carryover, which we are doing. We have reallocated moneys within the fund to bring forward things like the land activation fund and to write down debt for local authorities on sites they could not develop because they were encumbered with debt.

We have used the money very wisely. I know the Deputy will welcome the social housing figures when we publish them within the next few weeks. We will have delivered more new-build social homes than the State has done in 50 years, even with the constraints we had earlier in the year. I look forward to the Deputy welcoming that-----

How much of the Department's funding has the Minister returned?

------30,000 new homes have been built in this State. The Land Development Agency-----

The Minister has not answered my question.

-----delivered homes for the first time in 2022.