The Central Bank housing figures, out today, show with terrifying clarity the housing disaster that the Government’s policies have created. Not only did the Government mislead the public in the election by stating 40,000 homes would be built last year but it will not reach anywhere near 40,000 homes this year or next year. It is also pulling the plug on social housing projects due to commence on site in the coming weeks. These figures show that the biggest blockage to solving the housing crisis is this Government’s policies. The Government is delusional in thinking that allowing rents to rise even higher will solve this crisis. It is clearly disconnected from the reality of the generational anxiety, despair and social division that his policies are causing. It is a shame that it is making renters, students and workers pay for its policy failures. Why will the Government not implement our homes for Ireland State savings proposal, which could leverage the €160 billion held in Irish accounts to build thousands of affordable homes, the type of supply our young people need and want? Why will it not make the equivalent of a Covid-period response to this housing crisis, which is now a complete and utter social catastrophe?

We are treating this as an emergency. It is a housing emergency and that is why we are taking big decisions each and every week to try to increase housing supply. We have increased housing supply from the floor to around 30,000 homes each year. We need to increase that significantly to deliver 300,000 more homes by the end of 2030. We have been following the evidence base of the Housing Agency in decisions we have made in recent weeks.

We have published the report of the Housing Agency, which is the body that is meant to assist with accelerating housing supply. We have followed its recommendations and extended rental protections and we are introducing legislation on no-fault evictions, but we are also trying to take a balanced approach. Funding is always important but I believe the constraints here are not funding. Funding will be forthcoming, with more through the national development plan. I believe planning, water and infrastructure are the key areas that we need to focus on in the time ahead.