Mr. Pat Doyle:

I thank the Chairman and members. Last year the Irish Council for Social Housing delivered about 3,800 units. That was up 14% on 2020. New units made up 75% of the total. We have been meeting our targets and growing our numbers every year, year on year. Under Housing for All, social housing will be 40% to 50% of the overall targets, and given the direction and trajectory over recent years, we consider ourselves to be very much in line to meet that at the time.

Much of what has been said by the previous speaker is what is now facing our members. The uncertainty is the biggest thing. I believe the council will hit the targets this year and will get the appropriate number of Part Vs and so on, but looking at how long it takes to gear up, we have concerns about 2023, 2024 and hitting those targets. The reason for that is the uncertainty. It has been mentioned already that it is down to those tendering to price in the risk. If we had been here last year, none of us would have seen the risks that have emerged from 24 February onwards. Many people who are currently delivering on fixed-term tender projects and builders or developers I talk to say they are doing this for nothing. Some of that is true and some is not, but they have been really squeezed now. That has made people nervous and uncertain about whether they want to commit to a fixed-price tender.