Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)

I will focus on comparisons between the spend at the end of last year and what is allocated in the Supplementary Estimate on the key capital programmes for social and affordable housing. When I look at the outturn across the three key social housing programmes, namely, SHIP, CAS and CAF, the spend at the end of last year was €2.662 billion. That is for new-build social housing as well as the 1,500 social housing acquisitions. What the Minister is saying is that, with the Supplementary Estimate across those three programmes, just €2.242 billion is being finally allocated this year. That is a shortfall of €400 million on what was spent last year. I know outturn and Estimates are different, and more money can be secured later in the year, but given that the Department's social housing targets are higher, especially on the new-build side - acquisitions are different - I do not understand why its starting position would not be what it had last year and if it needs more than that, it would ask for it. How is it that, as it stands for local authorities and AHBs, there is €400 million less in the pot to deliver a larger number of units this year?