Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

That is to deal with a serious shortage of private housing in this city and other places. The Government has put €2.5 billion on the table for social housing and has called all the chief executives of the local authorities together and instructed them to get on with their targets and objectives and to start building. That is separate development of infrastructure from the private housing sector.

The Deputy will have seen an announcement by a major firm intending to build significant numbers of houses in his area. They will be private housing, I assume.

The strategy for social housing was published in November of last year. That strategy indicated a target of 110,000 social housing units, as the Deputy is aware, through the delivery of 35,000 social housing units and meeting the needs of 75,000 households through the housing assistance payment and the rental accommodation scheme. Those two together will deal with nearly 90,000 claims for social housing.

I agree with the Deputy that it is not on for anybody going on the housing list today in 2015 not to get a house until 2037. We will deal with that issue. That is why the Government has put up serious amounts of public money to build social housing in order that these things can apply. The Minister has commented on this.

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