Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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The Minister said that social housing continues to be a top priority. As we have very little time, I will focus on that topic. There is no evidence that social housing is a top priority. The Minister's figures are constantly shifting.

I wish to clarify the spending figures. I have all of the data with me on the number of new social houses that are being produced. The Minister said there has been increased capital funding of €160 million for this year. The total capital spend on housing for the year, according to the Estimates, is €376 million. According to the Department's figures published on 19 November - the Anti-Austerity Alliance quoted the Minister's figures a couple of weeks ago and we were told they were out of date so these are five days old - the last time that public capital expenditure on housing was that low was 1994. The Minister is spending less money on social housing than the last and previous Governments did. We must go back 20 years to find a lower figure. The Minister is shaking his head but I will happily read out the figures or give them to him if he does not believe me. They are on the Department's website for all to see. They are under the heading "Public Capital Expenditure on Housing".

In 1994, a sum of £353.9 million was spent, which is slightly lower than what the Minister is spending now. In 2008, when the recession started, more money was spent on social housing than the Minister is spending now. Only this Government has reduced the figure and not increased it. In 2008, a total of €2,303.2 million was spent in capital expenditure. That is far more than is being spent now, when one considers that the housing crisis has really emerged in the last couple of years. The Minister constantly claims that he is spending more than anybody before him spent, but the figures do not stack up. Can we clarify the Minister's latest claims?

I have the Department's figures for new social housing output. They are five days old. New social housing output for Q2 in 2015 shows 324 houses or apartments in progress and completions of 157.

Basically, between completions, acquisitions and voluntary housing, there will be only 403 new houses or units by the end of this year. With another 324 in progress, there will be 727 new units with a month left to the end of the year. Where is all the housing the Minister talks about?

Last March, in answer to a written parliamentary question on local authority housing provision, in a breakdown of social housing the Minister stated that 1,400 houses would be built, with 440 for special needs. Are they included in the figures or are they still coming on stream? He also mentioned 55 Traveller-specific units. Again, are they included in the figures or are they still coming on stream? I see where Deputy Stanley is coming from but all we can go on is what the Department puts on the website as outputs every quarter, not what the Minister claims in a press release or an announcement. We can only go on what has been physically produced.

The number of houses is very low and this is a huge disappointment for people. The Minister claims that we like it when people are wallowing in misery. We are the people who are dealing with the misery every day on our doorsteps. Other Deputies are in the same position. We are inundated with people who are homeless and living in the misery that has been created over a few years. I do not blame it all on the current Government, but its claims that it is doing more than any Government did previously are utterly wrong. Less is being spent on social housing now than was spent under many previous Governments. If there are other figures we will listen to them, but I have gone to the trouble of digging them out and bringing them here.

I am confused because many announcements are being made. The only figures we can use are the Department's figures for voluntary housing and council housing. A total of 20 council houses were built in the first two quarters of the year. It went from 20 to a big fat zero in the second quarter. Does the Minister acknowledge that is the case? He said it would multiply by ten by the end of the year, so there must be some acceleration taking place in the councils to produce them in the next six weeks. If that was the case we would all be delighted. How can the Minister continue to make these claims when none of the figures backs him up in any way? Has he abandoned previous targets? Even with these targets he is only meeting half of what he said. He said 1,400 in March, but there will be only 700. He is producing half of the number of houses he promised, and even 1,400 would have been way below what is required.