Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

Earlier today, the Minister of State released figures for house completions for the first nine months of 2005. I welcome this good news which brings to approximately 300,000 the number of houses that have been constructed since 2001 when Part V of the Planning and Development Act came into operation. Allowing for the fact that Part V would not apply to half that total of 300,000 houses, 20% of 150,000 should amount to 30,000. In an earlier response to Deputy McCormack, the Minister of State admitted that only 1,294 social and affordable houses have been produced under the Part V provisions. Will the Minister of State explain how it is that while 30,000 units should have come through under Part V over the past five years, only 4% of that amount has materialised?

See this speech in context