Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)

At the last assessment, the figure on the waiting lists was not 55,000 but approximately 48,000. Approximately 32% of those families were single people and another 30% consisted of one adult plus one child, but we include them all as families, even if they are single people. The needs of approximately 13,000 of those 48,000 families are met each year. I am not suggesting that the number on the waiting list reduces by 13,000 each year, as it does not. I admit that as 13,000 households come off the list, significant numbers are added to it. A major assessment of housing needs is carried out every three years. The figures I quote are three years old. The new assessment was carried out last month and it will take a number of months before the data are compiled. We will then ascertain what the updated figure is. As I have stated, the overall housing budget this year is €2 billion, of which €1.3 billion is for social housing.

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